Conquered and Divided
by Purple forests
Summary: Berk has been conquered, been divided. Half have escaped and seek refuge, half rot in cages. Two years has past and the one hope Berk has is their Cheif as he does everything he can to get his people back, to bring his wife back to him and their son. But is he ready for the aftermath of when his people come home, since a lot can happen in two years. Set after HTTYD 2 (SPOILERS)
1. The Beginning

" One more push astrid, one more" valka pleaded, as astrid lay on hers and hiccups bed. She had been in labour for 10 hours, give or take, and of course she had to start giving birth as berk was under attack, by drago and his 'allies' he has gained for over five years. Thats how long it had been, since the last drago incident and look at where it go them, astrid giving birth early hours in the morning. It was about 3:15 am and the attack was still going on, the bottom half of berk had already been lost, there was no hope. So why should she try.

" i cant, there is no point, i cant" she cried tears down her sweaty cheeks. She had given up she couldnt do it anymore. But her husband wouldnt stand for that, as he was sitting behind her patting her head with a damp cold cloth, but he placed that down holding both hands in his and placing his mouth near her ear.

" yes you can if not for yourself then for the baby, if you dont push you will die. Our baby will die. Come astrid you cant give up, its not you, you cant give up." she clamped down on his hands and squeezed them tight as she gave one final push and the baby final came out.

The midwife took the squealing babe from valkas arms to go and wash it down, while valka and the other healers including Gothi took care of astrid, cleaning her up making sure there was no bad bleeding.

" you did it baby, you did it" kissing her sweaty hair.

But this happy family greeting was cut short as eret and snotlout barged through the bedroom door, sweating and panting.

" Chief! oh sorry-" they both said as they saw astrid legs still wide open, and they tried their best to cover their eyes and signal hiccup to come out side of the room to talk.

" I'll just be a min" he said kissing the side of her head one more time before getting up and heading towards the door, guiding both snotlout and eret out. " whats going on out there?" but with the delayed reactions he already knew, they had lost.

" its bad hic, really bad. What ever dragon he has this time, berks not standing a chance. It hides in the shadows, taking down any dragon that stands in its way and the people 24 are dead and 15 have been captured." snotlout said holding his helmet in his hands, with a sorrowful look on his face.

" right, right okay i-" he started running a hand through his hair to the back of his head. And that's where eret stepped in.

" chief, they are killing the old and injured and well the ones that are trying to kill them, and taking the ones that are young and healthy. I've seen it while i was a dragon trapper, slave trade. They will sell our people to anyone on the trading market."

" okay, evacuate the island, get as many people on the boats at the back the island. And head towards dagur and heather, they will help." hiccup ordered.

" but what about you?" snotlout asked.

" i have a family now, a baby. Im sorry but i need to get them safe, just do what i said and get as many people out and off the island. ill give further orders when we are on the boats" he ordered again getting ready to head back into his bedroom.

" yes chief!" both said rushing down the stairs to follow their orders.

Hiccup headed back into his room and his eyes quickly landed on his wife sat up right hold their baby in her arms, soothing the babe. Step by step he headed towards his family, slowly climbing onto the bed next to his wife and babe, looking, adoring, the new family member.

" we have a son hiccup, a little baby boy, we have a son." kissing his cheek and stroking her sons small fragile head.

" he's beautiful, he's amazing, but we have to go, we have to get out of here now" he sounded serious, he looked serious. He started to gather up the small child and the sheets that surrounded him into his arms and started to get up and off the bed.

" what? Why? i thought our defences could handle this?" she went to get up but there was a sharp pain from where the midwife had stitched her up, and she started to bleed again. Hiccup looked back as the midwife and healers went to stop astrid from bleeding out.

" how long is it going to take to stitch her up again, berks not going to last long?" he asked his mother.

" i dont know"

" okay stop, just stop the bleeding, mom you take him, and ill just carry astrid out, you can stitch her on the boat when we get there." he said already moving towards his mother to hand her, her grandson.

" no, if you move her now, with no stitches, she will bleed out and be dead before we even reach the boats." the midwife argued.

" then we have no time to lose, hiccup you take my grandson and our heelers out of here head to the boats, i'll stitch up astrid myself" by the time valka had finished she had already taken the kneedle from the midwife and five heelers had headed out of the house.

" but mom-" he argued.

" now shut up hiccup, i know how to stitch up a uterus, i've lived in a cave for twenty years i've learnt a few things. You have a son you need to get off the island, we will only be a few minutes behind you. Now go" she ordered as she tried to stop the bleeding.

" but-"

" Go Hiccup!"

" Wait!" astrid screamed before her husband left. " let me kiss him"

" you will see him on the boat"

" i know, but please let me kiss him." she pleaded. And of course he gave in, walking towards her and placing their sons head where she can kiss him.

" be safe, i love you, both of you, be safe stoick" hiccups eyes looked at astrid as she placed one final kiss on her sons head, and soon her eyes met his. She had named him after his farther, of course she did, his dad would have loved this child so the baby might as well have a strong name, for a strongly loved boy.

" Stoick, you think the name will suit him?" he asked lifting his son back up into his arms. Watching as his wife lay back slowly into the furs as another drop of sweat fell down the side of head.

" he's your son hiccup, he needs a name, and he's your son and i think he deserves the name of your farther. Now go, i will be at the boats in 20 minutes." she said as he started to walk towards the door, but paused at the door to look back.

" i swear if you aren't at the boats in 20 minutes im coming after you."

" i believe you, now go." he left the room and headed down the stairs, astrid could still hear his footsteps until he had left the house completly, and thats when valka decided to speak.

" astrid you do understand that it wont take 20 minutes to stitch you up, and when i do stitch you up, you wont be able to stand up, if you move the stitches will come undone and you will bleed out before you have even reached the front door of your house to leave." she said with a sorrow look on her face.

" i know, i also know that in 20 minutes hiccup wont have time to come back because this part of berk with have been taken over and it will be too late to turn back, so you can go, i wont hold you too it. I just wanted my baby to be safe and i needed him to be with his farther."

" im not going anywhere honey" valka place herright hand on astrid shoulder while haveing the kneedle in the left, ready to do her stitches.

xx

By this time hiccup and stoick were already walking to the other side of berk with a few other civillians and the injured. They were about five minutes from the boats, and stoick was already getting fussy, which wasnt the best time as people every five minutes came up to him what was the plan after they get on the boats.

" what happens then?"

" what about my wife, she was captured, we cant just leave her?"

" chief hiccup, what do we do?"

" our dragons, what about our dragons?"

" there are people dead, my friend is dead"

He couldn't take much of it, his head was spinning but the only thing he could think of was where his wife was. But he couldn't think of that anymore, as two voices shouted behind him and for a second he hoped it was his wife and his mother, but was deeply disappointed to hear two male voices.

" chief!" both of them shouted, he turned around to see eret and snotlout running towards him. Both of them panting and sweating and when they stopped taking deep breaths before speaking.

" chief, we have rounded everyone we could up, and told everyone we saw, there might be a few people behind us but other than that most people that were in the lower area of berk has been captured." eret stated placing his hands on his hips still breathing heavly.

" okay have any of you seen astrid and my mom?" he asked hushing stoich as he started to whimper again.

" err no, did you eret?" snotlout panted.

" no, why are they not here yet?" eret questioned hiccup.

" they had to finish astrids stitches and then they would be coming. But snotlout, do you think you could run back to see if you can find them, they might be a bit slow since astrid has her stitches in."

" err sure chief, i'll see you guys in 10 minutes okay" snot said before jogging in the opposite direction to the other vikings that where heading towards the boats.

xx

At the boats many people were injured and lying down, but those how stood were helping out treating the injured. Hiccups mind was still spinning but for those how stood up he could only make out Gobber, Tuff, Bucket and Gothi. and also eret who was walking beside him. As soon as Gobber saw him, he stopped what he was doing and turn towards hiccup.

" chief, the boats are ready to go, we are just waiting for your order. oh my thor, is that your baby" gobber said as his attention was drawn towards the little babe in hiccups arms.

" wait astrid, my mom and snot are not back yet, we cant leave with out them. And would you mind holding him for a sec." hiccup said placing stoick into gobbers capable hands, or hand.

" no, my sister isnt back yet either, she was down near the dragon training center, but she is smart, and she would have got out. But maybe no one told her about the boats." hiccup looked at gobber who's eyes said it all. Hiccup knew that anyone near the training center didnt stand a chance, if she wasnt dead, she would have been captured.

" look tuff-" he started but tuff butted in before he could even start. " no, she will come, you will see" and he walked off, to go and cool down.

" look chief we have to set sail before the enemy comes, we cant wait for long, we are running out of time." spitelout said running up to his chief.

" no, my wife isnt back yet, neither is my mom, or your son" spitelout was taken back at this comment, but he had is council man face on.

" that's, err that's a shame, but if we dont move these boats now, all these people will be dead. we have to move out now."

" im the chief, im the one who decides when to go, not you. And i say we wait." his voice got more stern and louder as he finished, whiched caused an audience to stop and listen in to the conversation, all thinking it would probably escalate. and that when gobber thought he sound stop this now before it got any further.

" chief, i hate to say this but he is right, we need to leave now."

" no. My wife, my mom, snot-" but he was interrupted by gobbers fake hand on his shoulder, while the other was carrying his son.

" i know, but we cant rescue them if we are trapped as well. So lets go, seek refuge. And when the time comes and once we have healed then, and only then, we get our people back."

" okay" he nodded. " can i have my son back" gobber nobbed handing hiccup his baby back into his arms.

" lets set sail, towards dagur and heather, they are the best allies we have right now."

" you got it chief"

And off they went, leaving berk, leaving their home and all they knew, leaving their love ones behind so that one day, one day they could return and get back that had once been stolen.

xx

(2 Years later)

The day had been quiet, more quiet than usual. Usually the guard would have banged on the cages early morning, but they didn't. They would usual do this since they would have been interrogating them one by one late at night so they would only have a few hours of sleep on a cold hard floor so really it wasn't a sleep at all, but they didn't. Which made them, the berk prisoners, think what the hell was going on.

At the first sign of the door opening, everyone looked. but instead of seeing tons of guards coming in to give them slave work for the day, they saw one guard with a man in chains walk in. But this man looked familiar, through his cuts and bruises, he looks so familiar.

Astrid pulled herself up and looked through the bars of the cage, she knew this man, she knew him indeed.

" Dagur?"


	2. Escape Route

(2 Years later)

The day had been quiet, more quiet than usual. Usually the guard would have banged on the cages early morning, but they didn't. They would usual do this since they would have been interrogating them one by one late at night so they would only have a few hours of sleep on a cold hard floor so really it wasn't a sleep at all, but they didn't. Which made them, the berk prisoners, think what the hell was going on.

At the first sign of the door opening, everyone looked. but instead of seeing tons of guards coming in to give them slave work for the day, they saw one guard with a man in chains walk in. But this man looked familiar, through his cuts and bruises, he looks so familiar.

Astrid pulled herself up and looked through the bars of the cage, she knew this man, she knew him indeed.

" Dagur?"

xx

(10 minutes earlier)

Astrid had woken up before the others, which felt really weird as she would have normally been woken up hours ago by the guards who would have probably had another slave task for them which usually starts at 5 in the morning and ends at mid night, every day for 2 years. 19 hours straight, with only 30 minute break for food and water, it was exhausting even for her and as much as she would hate to admit it, the exhaustion wasnt the only thing that was taking its toll on her. She had been without her son, her husband, her family for 2 years and it only got worse when she scratched another tally on the stone wall of the cage. 2 years ago today she had lost her son, and the depression was getting the best of her. She finally heard the others awake and of course the first to speak was snotlout.

" is it me or did we all just sleep in?"

" no we probably just woke up early, now go to sleep" ruff said from the side of him, hitting his ribs with her elbow and trying to get herself comfy on the rock beside her so she could try and get back to sleep.

" no he is right, its about 9 now and ive been up a hour. Its weird, up at 4:30 in the morning, everyday, for the past 2 years, why change now? Whats so special about today?" astrid stated throwing the sharp piece of rock she used to carve on the wall, on the floor.

" who knows, im just glad i got some sleep." valka mumbled as she started to wake up. Others around them all started to slowly wake up and mumble to eachother on why the guards haven't arrived yet.

As the voices got louder, they were all brought to a hault when the large lock on the metal door unlocked from the outside with a loud click echoing throughout the room. The whole room was silent and all eyes were on the door as it slowly opened and two male figures walked in, one was a guard as the footsteps were stong and steady, the other was some prisoner as he walked in head low, feet scuffing the floor as he walked, dragging the chain along the floor that were attached to his wrists and ankles.

But as the two walked further into the room the prisons face became clearer and clearer, astrid pulled herself up using the bars on the cage to balance her, sticking her head through the bars to get a better look. But she didnt need to look any further, she knew this man, by the way he walked, his hands and his feet, his hair and the side of his face. Even through the cuts and the bruises all over his face and body, he looks so familiar, she knew this man, he knew him indeed.

" Dagur?" the word slowly ecsaped her mouth, but was loud enough to be heard by dagur as he raised his face at the sound of his voice and shot a smirk at astrid before the guard threw him in the cell next to astrid, the one with valka. He unlocked his chains before walking out and locking the cage, and leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Once they all knew the guard had complete gone, astrid ran to the side of the cage, placing her hands throught the bars and getting a hold of his shirt. Once she got a grip, she yanked him off the floor and too the bars where she could see him face to face.

" oh, looks like you still have that fire in your system" she said face pressed against the bars.

" what do you want dagur? Why are you here?" she demanded pulling his shirt making it rip even more from where the guards had ripped it before.

" oh relax milady, everything will be revealed in due time." he whispered. She looked at him eyes narrowing at the second before releasing her hand from his shirt.

" what did you say?" he didn't answer at first he just brushed himself off and sat up straight against the bars.

" i said relax"

" no. What did you call me? Only one person calls me that" she placed her side on the other side of the bars so she was facing dagur.

" well who do you think sent me?" not holding back his smirk back.

" hiccup" she whispered, but it was so quiet that all the other heard. And both valka and snolout shot up from their slouching position on the rocks behind them when they heard the name of their chief.

" hiccup?"

" hiccup?"

" chicken" ruffnut mumbled in her sleep, waking herself up to find all eyes on her.

" what? I dream about chicken okay. Its been 2 years of shit disguised as porridge, so i dream of chicken" she argued.

" and here is me dreaming of you" snolout siad placing an arm around her shoulder.

" whatever" hitting him again.

" would you two shut up about chicken. Dagur you better start explaining yourself cause id given up on hope 18 months ago.

" hiccups here, and we are breaking you out tonight" her eyes wide and ears open.

" wait my son is here? Where?" valka questioned. " not far, this massive boat is about ten miles off land. And on that land 20 miles east is our camp where hiccup is, his plan starts now with me coming on boarded to tell you this and will continue at 7 tonight when it gets dark. I mean we have been planning this for months, and fishlegs has mapped out this boat from bottom to top. And its amazing to hold rock walls on a boat that floats is impossible, until fishlegs figured out that there are water dragons holding it up. Any way, at 7 tonight thats when eret and tuff will do the signal, and we will get out of here. We will spilt up into small groups and get back to the camp, all we got to do is sit down and wait, there is more than one room of caged people so when we get out we need to hurry."

" whats the signal?" ruff asked.

" believe me you will know it when you see it" dagur shifted so that he now had his whole back facing the bars and he started to fumble through his pocket and pulled out a small wooden horse. He handed it through the bars to astrid, she looked at the small thing before taking it out of his hand and looking at it closely.

" what is it" looking at the carvings, and what looked like teeth markings.

" its your sons favourite toy, he used to bite it when he was younger." she brought the toy closer to her, looking at all the detail that was carved in but one bit stood out the three letters "HHH" on the bottom. Hiccup.

" okay, can i just say something. How do we know dagur is telling the truth, i mean in the past he has not been the best of allies" ruff said standing up from her place where she sat next to snotlout, pacing around her cell, cracking the stiff bones in her back and neck.

" Ruff! How can you say that, heather has been our friend since we were 16, dagur when we were 18. They are our friends ruff and i believe him." astrid argued her point.

" of course you believe him, he has you wrapped around his pinky finger with that wooden horse who is probably not even stoicks." ruff cracked another bone in her body.

" i believe him" snot said picking up a rock and playing with it between his hands. All eyes were on him, and he took his time before answering. " i believe him. One of the last things hiccup said to me is that the boats is heading towards dagur and heather. So i believe him." the room went quite and know one tried to argued with snolout, and dagur had a smile on his face for the rest of the day.

xx

They waited till 7 like they were told, it was about 6:55 now when dagur was looking through his pocket, he pulled out some guard's keys and placed him on his lap, the clicking and banging noise the keys made, drew the attention of the others aand as soon as ruff saw the keys she started to accuse him some more.

" what the hell? You had them the whole time? What were you planning to do with them, taunt us. You have the keys to our cells and you only show them to us now?" she started to pace around the cell mumbling an argument with herself.

" relax blondie, hiccup gave me stricked orders that when i was captured i was supposed to swipe the keys off the guard and only use them after the signal. So keep your panties on okay"

" oh keep my panties on? Do you even know what the signal even is? Because i still dont trust you, i dont trust anyone who has not been in these caged wall for 2 god dam years -"

BANG! And thats when everything changed, from being stood up ruff was thrown back, snotlout, valka and dagur jumped to the grown and threw their hands over their heads, as did some other prisoners that were in other cages near the blast and astrid was thrown back on the rock wall she had been carving into for the last 2 years.

Ears were ringing and heads were banging, ruff was one of the first to speak "ouch" she brought her hand to her head, she felt a warm liquid coming from her head, she didnt even need to look to see what it is, but she did. Blood.

" ruff you okay?"snotlout shouted from where he lay. " yeah"

" mrs H, you okay?" dagur rushed over to valka who was bleeding from the head too.

" im okay, hun. Astrid, check on astrid." dagur got got up from where he was crouching and ran to the bars of the cage that seperated his cell from astrids. What he could see was astrid lay on the ground with her cheek all gashed from the rocks.

" astrid? astrid? For gods sake if you dont wake up, i will beat the caged wall down and bring you back to life. Hiccup gave me one job. Astrid!" she shifted, opening her eyes and slowly getting up. She turned to dagur looking at him, brain still not realising what happened.

" what was that?"

" that was the signal."

xx

Dagur fiddled with the keys on the lock of his cell, as soon as the door was open he hurried over to astrid door and tried to find the right key to unlock it. Valka walked out slowly, taking in that she was walking out free and willingly. Dagur opened the door for astrid and rused to the others.

She didnt walk out at first, she lingered at the door for a while, while everyone eles rushed out, excited to be free. From the crowd of faces she saw two that she hadnt seen for months mulch and hilda (her old teacher).

They all gathered around, thinking about what to do next.

" so what now?" astrid said to dagur.

But a voice from behind answered for him. " now you come with us." eret said. And behind him stood heather, tuff and gobber. The four walked in a decided it was best if they all spilt up in groups, the first group to leave was tuff, who had ruff and about 6 others with him. Next was gobber who took valka and 5 others, that only left heather, eret and dagur. Dagur went next with mulch, snotlout and 4 others, heather with hilda and 7 others, and finally eret he waited a good five mintes before taking astrid and 4 others out of the blasted door and down the hall. When walking eret caught up to astrid and started to walk beside her.

" its good to see you, i felt quite honored when hiccup asked me to make sure your with me. He has really missed you." he said looking down at a woman he knew but was no longer herself. None of them did. But he thought a little news of her loved one.

" where is hiccup? i thought i would have seen him by now."

" he- err he is destracting the dragon"

" the dragon?"

xx

" oh shit, bud that was close" this dragon was quick, it hides in the shadows, like it was one and shot fire as black as night but as hot as lava. Toothless flew up into the clouds as hiccupsd demands, they thought it would be best to fight their ememies in their strenghts not their weaknessess. The clouds had gathered together, they were forming a thunder cloud at it was ready to strike, but with thunder there was rain. The rain started off spitting at first, hiccup could feel the back of his exposed neck getting wetter.

" perfect, just perfect" his sacrasm muffled in the mask, but toothless heard it, and he werent a fan of rain too, but he was a lover of thunder anfd lighting, since he and hiccup knew, with the thunder going on around them, their ememy couldnt hear them coming.

" okay bud, lets see how angry we can make it" and he shot another plasma blast.

xx

" okay everyone lets move" eret said, as they had just found the exit to the tunnels,and was coming out on deck, so far eret couldnt see much, so they went for it. They ran quickly but quitely, trying to keep their heads low, but as soon as they turned the next corner it was no longet quite.

The whole place was burning down, guards were running everywhere, prisoners were running everywhere, both jumping over the dead and the injured. Dragons were flying over their heads, this plan had just gone down hill.

" we need to split up" astrid shouted over the burning fire, the screaming and shouting and the splashing sound of rain coming down.

" what?" eret whipped around. " hiccup gave me orders to keep you safe"

" fine, their is six of us, them two go off, them two go off, and us two. If we split up we have a better chance of not getting caught than we are in a big group." she said coupling up the other four.

" fine, head for land, east about 20 miles." he ordered as they split up, leaving him and astrid running through the burning ship.

" so where we heading?" she asked jumping over burnt wood.

" skullcrusher is on the west wing of the boat, but we have to be quick since if we wait any longer i told him to fly back to the camp, and we will have to make our own way their." They started running faster but now they were jumping over bodies instead of wood. Eret has grabbed her wristed so that she would keep up, but suddenly she pulled back as she had see someone in the crowd of dead bodies. A woman, hilda. She was lay between two others who were in her group, all their neck slit open.

" she was in heathers group?" eret whispered behind her.

" heathers fine, she will always be fine" astrid said, shutting hildas eyes close.

" come on lets go" he grabbed her upper arm and pulled her away.

They started running to the west wing of the boat, but but the time they of there it was already burning.

" so what now?" he turned around to look at her but something over her shoulder eyes widening but the second. Astrid felt her body stiffen at the thought of the unknown " what is it?"

" we have to run, we have to run now!" grabbing her shoulder, and as she moved towards him she looked over her shoulder to see zipple back gas heading towards the burning floor.

" oh shit" they started to run for the edge, cause as soon as that gas hits the fire the whole boat would be in flames. They ran and jumped off the edge and as soon as they hit the water, the sky above them lit up in flames as the boat blew up. Shrapnel flew in the water scraping the skin of the two, but a piece of wood went straight through astrids right thigh.

As soon as the flames calmed down eret made his way up to the top, astrid came up to the top splashing and gasping for air. " eret ive been hit, i think there is a piece of wood stuck in my right thigh"

" okay, okay its not far till land, i'll fix it then" and they swam towards land.

xx

Hiccup watched at the boat exploded and the shadow dragon retreated back to shadows, disappered from hiccups sight, he just sat there on toothless hovering in the clouds as the rain got thicker, he watched as the boat burned. praying his wife wasnt on it.


	3. Finding Home

She crawled out of the water, dragging her limbs like they were dead weight throught the wet sand leaving a trail of blood from her thigh running down back to the sea. She couldnt pull herself up anymore and she stopped trying too. She had given up but weirdly was still moving off the wet sand, onto dry, until she released she was being dragged by someione eles.

" come on astrid, we just jumped off a fucking boat, dont give up on me now okay" dragging her to dry land. He pulled her up, watching as her leg bleeds out in front of him, she started to cough up water that had been caught in her lungs.

" you okay?"

" no, no im not. Get it out, pull it out, just get it out!" she screamed at her bloodly leg. He kneeled down beside her leg, ripping a piece of fabric off his shirt wrapping it above her leg to try and stop the blood flow. " okay im going to pull it out on 3 okay"

" dont fuck with me eret, just pull it out" she said as he placed his hand on the piece of wood.

"1-"

" eret!"

"2-" and he pulled it out making astrid screech into the night, he moved the fabric wrapped around her leg down to cover the wound and made sure it covered the entire wound.

Once she stopped screeching she looked down at eret " you said you were going to pull it out on 3"

" you said not to fuck with you" leaning back on his legs.

" that sounded so wrong, just shut up" and they both sat their together watching as the boat burnt in the sea. After a while the silence stopped with astrid bursting out with laughter.

" what?" he smiled watching her as she giggled.

" i-im free" she giggled, and soon so did eret.

xx

Hiccup arrived at 8:50 at the camp, many groups had already arrived, heather and 5 of her group had arrived, dagur and 2 of his had arrived one of them was mulch and the other snot, along with tuff who had ruff and 5 others of his group, gobbers group and erets wasnt back yet, but for now as chief he had to talk to those who had just arrived.

He walked up to them, heather, dagur and tuff coming forward first. Heather spoke first.

" three of mine dead, we all got split up and only five got back." next was tuff.

" only one of mine, he got caught in the cross fire" and finally dagur.

" well four of mine are lost, supposed dead, since they didnt trust the guide who was a former ememy"

He was thinking of an answer before he spoke. " okay inform the families if they are here, if not remember their names and tell their families when we get home. Is gobbers and erets groups not here yet?"

They all shook their heads.

" okay, go i'll talk to the others, you guys inform the families." the three walked off and hiccup walked up to the group of ex prisoners, who were standing around looking inscure, and feeling exposed. Snotlout and ruffnut came forward when they saw hiccup.

" snot. Ruff. Hey" he huged them both then went to adress the others.

" hi mulch, buckets here, he will want to see you" he shook his hand before speeking to the other.

He took a breath before speaking, he had to say this right, one wrong turn and he could affend everyone. " okay. I understand you feel exposed and alone, you have been alone for so long and we have all missed you. But there are families here, your families and they miss you but they will also understand if you want space. And i know i keep saying i understand, but im pretty sure none of us know what you have been through, so use eachother as support, use you family as support. We will be staying at this camp for the rest of tonight, all tomorrow, and leave the day after, so you can have a chance to heal, mental and phyical. We have healers so please if you are injured at all please let them take a look at you."

" yes chief" and they all went off.

xx

" ouch ouch ouch. Eret, would you give me a bit more support on my right side. Please!" eret held her right arm over his shoulder, trying to support her.

" im trying"

" obviously not trying hard enough" they were taking small steps towards the camp, east.

" well do you want me to carry you"

She shot him a glare through her eyes " does it look like i want you to carry me?"

Her eyes felt like they were daggers cutting through him, and he has never been so scared in his life. Apart from heather. "no"

" right, good. Distract me, tell me something about you." she said through the pain.

" err, trainings good, im dating heather, skullcrusher is doing great and-"

" wait-" she butted in. " you and heather. Oh do tell."

" err yeah its great, she is great, no, she's amazing and the sex is-"

"OH!" she butted in again. " first im the chiefs wife, and its illegal to have sex before marriage, so i dont need to know and second i just dont need to know" her eyes wide, not even looking at him, she didnt want too. Her friends sex life is her friends sex life, she didnt need to know.

" okay, so something eles?"

" yes, definitly something eles. Hiccup, tell me about hiccup" her breath became quicker as it became harder to bare weight on the leg.

" hiccup, well first he has been so determinded to get you back, he was so pissed when the boat kept moving which meant you kept moving. He had been planning this for months. And he is an amazing farther to stoick, i mean those two are like two peas in a pod-" astrids whole body stiffened when her sons name was metioned.

" do- do you want to talk about stoick?" she had a delayed answer but finally opened her mouth.

" err no, if anyone is going to tell me about my son, its going to be my husband." they came up to a swamp it was now about 5 maybe 6 miles from the camp.

" okay we can do this. We can do this right?" eret asked astrid nervously. " yeah we can" and then they started to walk.

xx

Gobbers group just came in with valka and 3 others, hiccup ran straight to gobber. " give me an update"

" we lots two, but your mother is here, so thats the good thing" gobber patted hiccup on the shoulder.

" okay you go and inform the families im going to see my mom" and he ran off to see his mother.

" mom!" he shouted when he saw a familiar figure. Once she turned around at the sound of hiccups voice, and he saw it was actually her he ran towards her and hugged her.

" oh my baby boy"

" mom, you okay" he pulled back and looked at her, making sure she wasnt hurt.

" im fine, im fine. Hows my grandson? Is he here?" she asked.

" no, he is at home. But he is amazing mom, just amazing, you will love him. He is so like me, he loves dragons and drawing and he is so like astrid he cant wait to pick up his first axe and he loves play fights. Talking about astrid where is she?" Valkas smiling face from hearing of her grandson turned to worried and confused. " no idea. Why is she not here?" hiccup shook his head.

" none of erets group is here" her face relax at the sound of this. " well thats okay, erets group was last i heard. So maybe they are on their way, so dont worry son she is a strong girl, who has grown stronger over the last two years. Now come, im so hungery could you show me to where you food tent is i havent had proper food in forever." he gave her a warm smile and took her to the food tent to get some hot soup brothel.

xx

" how long is it?" astrid asked wobbling on her own with eret in front of her. They were still in the swamp, knee deep in smelly swamp water making both their eyes water.

" its about 2 miles, are you sure you dont want help?" he asked turning around.

" nope im fine, you called me dead weight, so i will hobble on my own thank you." she hobbled past him gainig the lead.

" your going the wrong way!" he shouted from behind.

She stopped in her tracks turning around to see him pointing east when she was going south east " well why dont you take the lead" and he started walking toward the camp with her trailing behind. While walking eret could hear her walking behind him as the splashing noises got louder as her leg got harder to walk on, they were nearly out of the swamp land when astrid felt as if something was following her, she could hear it in the water behind her so she turned around slowly then screemed.

xx

It was about 10:00 now and erets group still hadnt arrived and hiccup only way of coping is pacing around in his tent and not eating any food his friends or mother brought him.

" oh now please hiccup, just eat something" valka said while siting on a chair watching as her son over thinks and paces all around the tent. But he was too deep in thought to be listening, he couldnt think straight all he could think of is that " what if something happened? What if?"

" hiccup please" she asked again.

" mom please, i cant eat. I cant eat untill ive heard of something, because not knowing anything is like torture, cause your mind plays tricks on you." he sat down beside her elbows resting on legs and head resting in hands, just trying yo get a peace of mind. Wht if? What if?

However his mind was disturbed by snolout and fishlegs barging in "CHIEF!" they shouted.

His head shot from his hands and he looked at the two " what?" he replied with no hope in his voice. Fishlegs spoke first.

" the guards said that they see a figure coming" but hiccup could understand why they had to include him. But snotlout already answered him.

" you might want to come and see this" hiccup looked at the two and then his mother, he got up from where he sat and head out of his tent. Not far from his tent, near the hill drop a bunch of people were gathered, he walked up to see what or who was making such a gathering. As he got closed he could see that it was all the people from berk gathered together and in the middle was heather, she was hugging eret.

He was pleased to see his friend, but he was hoping it was someone eles. Which made him think where was his wife. He walkd up to eret and shook his hand, he would have love to asked how he was, if he was okay, but someting different came out.

" where is she" eret didnt answer, he just looked to the ground and then back up at hiccup but as his head raised he had a smirk on his face. Making hiccup more confused.

" she is a stubborn one" he said as he walked back through the crowd towards the hill drop and shouted down " are you still coming or do you need me to come and get you" it was silence for a second and then an answer.

" i cant believe you made me clime this hill my self"

" well your stubborn ass wanted to" he placed a hand down and a female had excepted it.

" should have never trusted you" and he pulled up an alive astrid. Sure she was blood stained and bruied and scared, but she was alive and right now hiccup couldnt believe it. He had spent 2 years trying to find the mother of his child, his wife, and now she was here in his sight he couldnt see if it was real or not.

Her eyes landed on his immedietly, this was the first time she had seen her husband since the birth of their son. She let go of erets arm and walked to him slowly, still putting light pressure on her right leg. When he saw her limping towards him, he decided to meet her half way, since as soon as they were in touching distance their Arms were around eachother and they were on the floor. Hiccup was sat down with astrid on top her face in her neck and her arms around his shoulders. Hiccups arms lay around her waist, head on her shoulder. He opened his eyes to still find eret behind them he mouthed a " thank you" to him before he went off with heather, in fact everyone walked away leaving the two to have their reunion in private.

xx

He took her into his tent and lay her on the bed, her leg was still bleeding, but he said over the years he had learnt to stitch up open cuts and gashes. She sat down and wait for him to get the healers kit. He came back holding a box and sat beside her slowly staring to peel off the material that covered her leg. She hissed as he finally pulled it off her leg showing her exposed through and through wound.

" Sorry" he said placing the rag on the floor and grabbing something out of the box.

" It's okay" she replied as she watched him pull out a tub of paste and started to rub it on her leg.

" What is that?" She hissed as he slowly started to rub it in, as soon as it hit the open wound it started to burn.

" Just some paste gothi made over a year ago" still rubbing it in on the front and back.

" Why does it burn?" He looked as her face shown discomfort, and slowed down.

" because it's used to stop infections, is that better?" He had slowed down completely and her discomfort faded.

" yeah thank you"

He finished with the paste and started to stitch it up both sides, they didn't talk much while he was stitiching her up, just a few " sorry" thrown in there when he pinched her skin a few times. Once he had finished sewing her up he wrapped a clean bandage around it and told her to keep it rested. He sat looking at her, he had not seen his wife for two years and he now had the chance to admire her beauty he had missed.

" what?" she asked confused and pulling the covers over her legs.

He smirked at her before answering " your so beautiful, and ive missed you so much." she blushed, but sorta had an inscure posture about her. But that didnt stop her from moving over and patting on the bed next to her for hiccup to join her. He took off his armor so that he was just left with his pants, tunic and peg leg, he sat next to her leaning back against the head board like astrid. She grabbed one of his arms and threw it over her shoulder so she could lay her head on his chest.

" ive missed you too, ive missed your smell, and your touch and voice, i never forgot your voice." she said as he hugged her close and kissed the top of her head.

" do you want to hear about our son?" he said watching as she shot up and looked him in they eye.

" yes, yes i do. Tell me everything, every detail, every bit. I want to know my son." he smiled and got up, to look through some bags. Astrid sat up to see what he was looking for, then he pulled out a book and came back to sit with her. He pulled the covers over their legs and opened the book, inside was images draw of stoick every month. Astrid flicked through the page watching infront of her eyes her son grow up.

She got to the final page and looked at last photo for a while, her son had grown so big from when she last saw him but looking at the drawing he look quite small for a two year old. Probably just like hiccup, a little haddock. She giggled as she kepted her eyes on the picture, rubbing her finger along the drawing.

" he looks so happy in this picture"

" yeah i drew it when her was playing with his dragon toys, he loves them." she closed the book and placed it on the table beside the bed.

" where is he now?" she asked.

" at home with gothi, i sent him yesterday morning, promising him a birthday party and his mother when i get back-" he said as her head raised at the sound of mother. "- he misses you, so much. I tell him about you everyday, He wanted a story every night about you" she loved knowing her son wanted to know her as much as she wanted to know him.

" i wish he could of stayed but i needed to know he was safe so i could focus on you and the others today" he said apologetically.

" no its fine, i get it. Im actually glad you did, best him be safe than around here." a yawn escaped her mouth after she spoke.

" well i was going to say do you want some food, but it looks like you exhausted, why do we get some sleep?" rubbing her back.

" sleep sounds great."


	4. The Aftermath

_( 2 years earlier)_

 _They threw her in her cell, she fell face first onto the rock floor which surprised her since she was sure out of her blurred vision they had brought her aboard a ship, but right now she didn't care less as her body fell after her face and immediately felt the blood trickling down her legs as her stitches came undone._

 _Hearing the cage door behind her close she could the the mumbling of others, their blurred figures she could make out in other cages that surrounded them, one imperticular right next door to her, for as the tall lean figure was shoved into the cage like she was only seconds ago, the figure mad a B line to the bars that separated them yelling her name._

 _" Ast... Astrid? Can ... Hear ...me? Ast ...? Okay...?" The words mumbling from the figure made no sense to her, but as her vision came clearer she could finally see who was next to her, her mother in law who had that very worried look she always carries._

 _Not answering the questions she was asked, Astrids eyes wandered around too see it was not only her and valka in the cages but others as well, she saw a woman from the bakery, a man from the docks, Mulch was in the cage with him two, moving her eyes again she saw the cage attached to the other side of valkas, and two very familiar faces, snotlout and ruffnut._

 _" Mrs H, Astrid I'm sorry I was supposed to bring you back, I'm sorry" his words came out heart breaking, and she saw the reaction in valkas face that he was not to blame._

 _" Not dear, it's not your fault, it's no ones fault" Astrid tried to speak, even attempted to open her mouth but no words came out, the guy that had brought her in, had wrapped his hands to tightly around her neck, she felt as if they were still their._

 _A loud bang of the large doors opening caught their attention, gasping at the sights, astrid could see the fear in her people's faces as who ever walked in stood by her cage. Before she knew it he was inside the cage with her crouching down to her weak for, it was only know she realised that their was tears streaming down her eyes, but not from fear, from pain. As the figures face came closer she finally realised who she was facing, the one man that made her blood boil, Drago._

 _He said nothing at first just took in her fragile form with a smirk on his face, then finally took her left had in his, thumb rubbing over her gold wedding band._

 _" Your Hiccup Haddocks litte bitch," moving the band around her thin finger, " your his Mrs!"_

 _And she knew she had found hell._

 _xx_

She awoke, sweating and breathing loudly, looking around she realised she was in a tent, and that the arms wrapped around her were in fact familiar arms of her husband. She looked up at his peaceful face, not wanting to disturb him, she knew she possibly couldn't fall asleep again, she crawled out of his arms and walked over to the desk that sat in the middle of the Chiefs tent. With the album book in her hand she slowly placed in on the desk, sat down and started flicking through, it got to back the drawing where he was three months old the the tears she was holding back started flowing out. But however they were not tears of seeing pictures of her little boy as much she wished they were, they were the tears of the memories that still turned her skin white.

xx

 _Getting up he let her hand fall to the floor, but before he left the cell, he had noticed the pool of blood the was beginning to form on the floor, turning to his captain of the ship, he pointed to the woman laying to his right like she was a piece of meat._

 _" Why is she bleeding?" The men fumbled together, looking at eachother, until the captain brought forward then men that had brought Val and Astrid in._

 _" Well, my Lord, I - err I think her stitches have broken" He mumbled._

 _" And why does she have broken stitches?" He spat out._

 _" Ask her she was stitching her up when we found them in the Chiefs bedroom" he pointed over to valka who sat at the bars that separated her and astrid. Drago looked over to the elderly woman and an instant smile came across his face. Walking out of astrids cage, he left the door open, not that it meant anything to astrid, she didn't have the energy to even move a finger._

 _He walked slow and heavy to valkas cage, and with the turn of the key his pace quickened as he picked up the woman by the neck and threw her against the wall at the back of her cage, causing the attention of the others around them._

 _" Val?"_

 _" Mrs H?"_

 _He threw her back, causing her to grasp at her neck as he choked her, pressing her further into the wall._

 _" Why were you stitching her up?" He snarled from his teeth as she tried to to push away. " I'm not telling you shit" she choked out her words, her little hands were no match for his bear paws the put more pressure on her neck._

 _" Your little wind pipes won't hold for much longer" pressing further, and she could feel her breath getting shorter, looking over to astrid her daughter in laws body still lay on the floor, but what she didn't see was her trying, praying to talk as all that her voice would let out was a croak._

 _" She had a baby!" Snotlout yelled grasping at the bars, he watched as Drago let go of his aunts neck, letting her limp body fall to the floor as she grasp her neck for air. He walked slowly to the bars that separated him from snotlout and ruffnut, snotlout had not moved from his post, but as Drago made his way in front of him the larger man seen quite intimidating._

 _" Say that again, I'm deaf in my left ear, all that dragon fire that your chief and his dragon set on me, left me deaf, so if you could, repeat that again" He towered over the small man, suddenly making him feel very weak and little._

 _" I - I said she had a baby" gulping loudly. The tall towering man did not show not emotion, no affection, no nothing, he just stood their motionless. Then with on swift motion he turned to the elderly woman who was still grasping for air._

 _" A baby, is this true?" His voice still stern._

 _The gasping women did not answer straight away, but after catching her breath she slowly nodded._

 _Looking down at the woman his attention was drawn to the younger woman who was groaning on the floor. Then bending down to valka whispering to her._

 _" How lovely it must be to have a grandson, I wonder what your stoick would have thought of this new family member" her blood boiled but no words nor actions a raised._

 _" I wonder what would happen if I got my hands on the little rat" she spat as he got up from where he was and stormed out of her cage bagging the cell door behind him, locking it shut. He then ordered his men to do the same with astrids._

 _" Listen up!" He yelled causing everyone in their cages look forward to where he stood._

 _" You have not rights, no say, you are our slaves from this point onwards, every morning at 4:30 you will be awoken, you will work till 12:30 have lunch the work till 1:00 till mid night, these men will tell you what each task is every day. You disobey, you get whipped. You slack, you get whipped. You even moan or groan, you get whipped. And interrogation starts tomorrow" his bellowed voice was heard by everyone, that's why the last comment caught much attention._

 _" What do you mean, interrogation?" Ruffnut piped up from the dark corner of her cage._

 _" You think I just wanted you here as my slaves, I wanted your chief, and now I have to find him again. So I will interrogate each and every one of you, until you tell us where to find him. You answer are questions rightly you get a tear of a free meal, you don't and..." Before he finished his sentence, snotlout intervened._

 _" Yeah yeah, we get it, we get whipped" but instead of his threatening voice bellowing back, all snotlout got in return was a sly smirk._

 _" Oh no. Something much worse" and he didn't say anything else on that matter, just left their minds to play trick on them, that was one way he was going to break them, by breaking their minds first._

 _He turned to the captain and his men," interrogation starts tomorrow" he then proceeded to point to the blonde young woman on the ground, " and SHE goes first!" The men nodded, but valka protested as she jumped to the bars, her voice pleading._

 _" No! Please. She has just had a baby, she is weak and can't even move, how do you expect her to answer any of your questions?"_

 _He didn't answe immediately, just strode forward and brought his gaze to hers, the only thing keeping them from touching was the bars._

 _" Not my problem" and with nothing left to say, he walked out, heavy footsteps that could be heard as he walked out the dungeon, his men following close behind._

 _Valka sunk to the floor by the side of the bars as the large door closed and the locks engaged. The only thing the prisoners had on their minds was the blond at the end, who was still huddled up on the floor, bleeding slowing down, but she had her back to them all, no one could see if she was awake to hear all that had happened or if she had gone unconscious from the pain. They weren't sure which would be worst._

 _" But the blonde was awake and heard everything that had happened, but couldn't care less, as the streams of tears that fell from her eyes on to the cold hard floor. The pain from the birth was excruciating, but the pain from being stripped away from her husband and her little baby boy was a pain that was unforgettable._

Xx

He had shifted in his bed, and that's how he had realised that his new found wife was no longer in his protective arms. Waking up and searching his tent, his eyes was immediately draw to the light of a single candle in the middle of the desk, there astrid sat back facing him, flicking through the pages of his photo album.

He got up slowly and reached for his prosthetic that he had taken off before drifting to sleep last night, from what he could tell it was early hours in the morning. _What was she doing awake?_ He got up, but not seeing she had not notice her was awake too. Walking up to her he placed a hand on her upper arm, and that's where she flipped.

It all happened so fast, she hadn't even expected to react so fast, nor did he expect her to do anything of the sort. As soon as she felt his hand on her skin, she immediately whipped around and with not looking who it was, with full force bashed her arms against his side, him falling to the ground instantly. Her battle cry sounded more frightened than anything, as she scrambled on the floor herself finding the corner of the tent and curling up in a protect ball.

When hiccup first hit the ground his mind first didn't know where to adjust, as it felt a bit of pain hitting the floor so fast, but as soon as he pushed himself up, his eyes focuses on his wife that was still in a ball in the corner of his tent.

He could see from the light lay from where she sat, old and new tear drops lay on the table near the book. And as he stepped closer to her,they still fell, every few seconds. He thought best to take it slow, getting down to eye level he made his was across the ground till he was a second from touching her. He tried reaching a hand out, but waited for her to make the move first.

Looking up to her concerned husband she had realised that it was him that had scared her, she moved closer to him and left him to meet her half way, as he instantly wrapped his arms around her and make it able for her to bury her head into his neck, her old and new tears soaking up his shirt.

" Shhh, shhh, shhh I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, shh, shh, it's okay, it's me, I'm sorry" he placed scattered kissed over her head, hugging her till her breathing and tears slowed down.

He knew the aftermath was going to be hard, he knew that the process was going to be long, but he doesn't know what his wife went through all these years and he can't begin to understand. How was he supposed to help her heal, if he was in the dark.

xx

Dawn broke, and the two still sat in the same position they had sat in for the past few hours. She had her eyes closed and her was still rocking her slightly, stroking her hair with his hand. It was perfect in hiccups mind, to be here holding his lost wife in his arms, felt amazing, if only they could have stayed like this forever, but of course his morning peace was interrupted by Eret, who had forgotten the chief was now sharing a tent with his wife.

" Chief I - oh shit, I forgot about astrid I'm -" he mumbled loudly causing astrid to wake in the arms of hiccup.

" Eret get out" hiccups said through his teeth. The man looked so awkward as he stumbled stumbled around the tent, causing astrid to wake up even more, and have just enough energy to speech up.

" Not its okay, I need to get up anyway," getting up and out of hiccups arms she made her way to the side of hiccups bed, grabbing the clothes he had got her, warmer since the winter weather was coming in.

" Are you okay?" He asked as she turned around to see he was now standing up too.

" I'm fine" giving him a warm smile she collected the clothes and took them behind the dressing wall, a temporary wall made out of wood a fabric that gave her privacy from the two men while she dressed.

" Nasty bruise" Erets comment brought hiccups attention back on him, as he looked confused at his best friend, who was his best man at his and astrids wedding.

" Your bruise looks nasty" pointing to the bruise that was doing darker by the minute on his right arm, it was from when he fell on hit early hours this morning.

" I fell, you know peg leg" gesturing to his missing leg he walked over to his bed too, changing into his armour as they spoke.

" Well your here at the break of dawn, what ever it is it better be good"

" I wanted to ask you, well no mila, the head healer here wanted to know if she could continue what we discuss the other week about the ex prisoners" knowing what Eret was talking about hiccup shook his head and whispered.

" Get mila to prepare immediately, but don't mention this to anyone, I want to bring them all together and discuss it with them myself" he put his boot on as Eret nodded.

" Will do chief, other than that, the rest of us will prepare to leave for tomorrow just after dawn" hiccup patted his mate on the back before he left, leaving hiccup to turn around to see his wife, dressed in her new clean clothes. She wore her blue leggings and fur boots, with her red tunic and hiccup had gotten her a brown coat with wool linen and a fur collar.

" Not what I usually wear," gesturing to her none armoured form.

" I know, I just wanted you to be warm and comfy, you can put on your armour on when we get home" walking up and putting his hands on her forearms.

" I know, thank you" she said so sincere, he placed a single warm kiss on her forehead.

" Anyway, was did Eret want?" She asked intriguing why she could hear the two talking.

To avoid the question he tried to bring another thing to light, " I'll tell you later, but first I think we need to get some food in you, proper food" grabbing her hand and excitingly dragging her to the opening of his tent.

" I'm not hungry," she protested pulling him back, " I just really want to shower"

" okay, we have public watering holes over there, one for men and one for women" pointing to the far corner on their camp.

" I don't really want to bathe with anyone else really, not even women, I just want to shower on my own really" he watched as an arm cover her body protectively, understand what she ment.

" Okay, I'll see what I can do, but first food" he dragged her protesting body out of their tent and to the main food tent.

xx

They saw their friends all huddled up on benches, as they ate their warm breakfast and wrapped blankets around their shoulders. The chief and his wife walking up to them caught their attention, the first to greet them was fishlegs.

" Astrid, how wonderful to see you again" he came to them wrapping his arms around her thin, fragile body.

" Hi fish," she stood so awkward, she had very little positive human contact over the last two years, all this hugging was new to her.

" We are so happy to have you back" giving her a reassuring smile he sat back with the others and made a space for the two to sit. Sh had noticed that when sitting down, snotlout and ruff had not much to say,they knew what she was going through, they could see it in her eyes, astrid only wished the others saw it too.

" So how was it like to sleep in a proper bed, these two said they slept great" heather said pointing to ruff and snot. She only smiled and nodded, wrapping the coat she wore around her middle more, as she shifted in her seat.

Her husband however did not ask any questions only tried to force her to eat, " here Ast, have some food,it's not amazing but its probably better than the shit you have been eating the last few years." He tried to hand her a plate of warm food, but the more she looked at it, the more it made her stomach churn.

" Not fucking kidding, the slop they fed us tasted like sick, it was shit. This, this is like a snoggletog dinner in my eyes" snotlout said as he ate his food from the plate, basically praising it.

Hiccup however tried to again hand her the plate, " I'm not hungry" but as she protested he only pushed further.

" Come on, you need to eat,"

" hiccup-"

" you need to build up your strength,"

" I'm not-"

" how can you do that if you don't eat"

" HICCUP, I SAID IM NOT HUNGRY!" The small outburst caused the attention of their friends and some others around them, for gobber and valka was only a few seconds away, since they too were getting some food.

Astrid looked around in horror as she realised that she had shouted it out loud, and without a single word she got up from where she sat and walked off to the furthest corner of the camp.

Hiccup said nothing, he was left speechless, he had not expected her to yell at him like that, it was like she just snapped. Letting her walk off, he turned to the others, who sat quietly in their seat, tuff, fish and heather had their heads down. But ruff and snot just looked at eachother, and it was something in their eyes that told hiccup they knew something he didn't.

" Is their something I don't know?" He said out loud to them.

Looking at eachother again ruff answered him, " you should talk to astrid"

" talk to her? she just snapped at me" he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to see it was his mother who had that same look on her face.

" You should talk to her son" helping him up, he looked in the direction to where she walked away, she was not longer in his sight, which meant it was probably going to take twice as long to find her again.

Taking a sigh he started looking, walking away from the group, he had this pit feeling in his stomach, the others were getting on so well, the transition was easier for them than astrid, and he didn't know why.

However he didn't get far as he was suddenly stopped but Eret, " twice in one morning Eret, what can I do for you?"

" Well mate, it's what I can do your you, I heard your little spat and thought I might help" placing an arm around his shoulder.

" I don't know, the others seem to adjust fine, astrid taking longer. I just didn't think it would be hard reconnecting with my wife again" his eyes still wandering around to see if he could fine a certain blonde.

" Well that's where I step in mate, there is that water cove in the mountains behind this camp, the one tuff found all those weeks ago, very romantic place to take your lady, set up a picnic, have a dip in the hot springs, perfect place for you to 'reconnect' with your wife. And you won't have to worry about being interrupted." He gave his chief a wink, saying that their was no need to thank him.

" That's not the reconnecting I was thinking of, I just want her to talk to me again, but the picnic and the hot springs sounds amazing, if you could set that up while I find her, I will be in you debt." He asked his dear friend.

" No problem mate,one romantic date coming up" he went to jog off, " oh Eret" he stopped.

" Not too romantic if you get what I mean" getting the gist.

" You got it mate"

xx

He had found her curled up on his bed, flicking through the pictures again, he had came up slow and soft, not saying anything to her, not uttering a word. He didn't have to, all he had to say, had already been said through his body language and eye contact. She too didn't say anything, the tears that dropped one by one, told him how sorry she was, his only answer was taking the book from her grasp and bringing her form into his arms, whispering into her ear.

" Come with me"

He took her through the camp and then through the forest that was behind their camp, the forest lead to the mountains where he knew the exact spot to enter to reach the cave pool. He blind folded her half way, saying he wanted it to be a suprise and did not trust her too keep her eyes closed. It took a while to convince her, but soon enough he had her walking blind throughout the forest with only him guiding her.

They came to the opening in the mountains and the rocky uneven floor that lead to the cave pool, made astrid feel very unsafe, especially since she was walking blind.

" Hiccup I don't like this" she said as she kept slipping on the uneven path.

" I know I know just a few more steps" he giggled as she fell again into his arms.

" Okay hiccup, are you trying to kill me" he helped her up again, and just like he said, a few steps more they were out in the cave pool. The cave pool was in the centre with a rock lining around it. Around that was soft golden sand that went up to the rock wall that covered this massive oval room. The water was crystal blue, just like hiccup remembered it was when he first saw it, and the sand felt just as soft when he came here a second time with Stoick, and the two had spent the afternoon here, that was only when Stoick was one and half years old, 6 months ago.

In the corner of hiccups eye he could see the picnic area all set up by Eret, a few furs here and there, with a basket filled with food and drinks for the two. He had made the effort to light some candles around the fur and the pool, he had made a mental note to thank Eret for this later.

" Err hiccup?" Astrid asked as she still stood blind and could now no longer feel hiccup.

" Sorry" he took her in his arms so she could feel him next to her. " okay we are here, I'm going to the blind fold off now, and when I say open your eyes, open them." He took the blind fold off and her eyes still remained shut, he then came behind her wrapping his arms around the front of her body and resting his head on her shoulder so he too could see what she was about to see.

" Okay open" her bright blue eyes were met with the most beautiful sight, the candles and fur, the basket and food, the pool so blue, and the sand that felt so soft underneath ther boots.

" Oh wow" she looked around the oval shaped cave, what a beautiful place, her husband still had that romantic flare to him, he had all those years ago.

" How did you have time to do this?" She asked as she walked around taking in the beautiful sights.

" Err well I have to hand that one, he set this up for me while I looked for you" she stopped near the furs and looked back at him, she never stopped loving this man, never will.

" I love you" he smiled, it seemed like forever since he had heard them words last said.

" I love you to astrid" walking forward he took her in his arms once more, this time taking her lips with his as well. The two shared a passion kiss in front of the warm cave pool, which looks very appealing to get into.

" I'm sorry for snapping and for hitting you this morning, it's just I've woken up and all of a sudden, the adrenaline has calmed down and reality hit, and I don't like it" he held her close as he possibly could, stroking the back of her head with his hand.

" It's okay, I know this is going to be hard for you, all we can do, is do it together" he hugged her closer, but not for long as he didn't bring her here to cry, he brought her here to relax.

" Come on, we are here to bathe and eat" he pulled back and started stripping his armour off, not that astrid minded, but she didn't really want to bathe with him, not yet.

" I don't know, I just wanted to bathe of my own." She hugged her middle again, a sigh hiccup had gotten used to seeing in the past few hours.

" I've seen you naked before, I know it's been a while but your still my wife" he took his tunic odd to reveal his abdomen and chest, he too had changed over the years, he had become more lean, more defined, which astrid didn't mind at all. He had new scars as well, and not ones that look like they were from the forge, some, but not all.

However it was nothing compared to how her body had been abused, and for one she did not want to show the one person who had seen her body at its prime.

Blushing with embarrassment," I know but that was a long time ago, things change" she hugged her body more. And hiccup took it as a sign to try and get his wife back to normal. He walked towards her, his leather pants still on along with his peg leg.

" Ast, it okay" he took her hands from hugging her body and brought them towards him.

" No it's not" her eyes filled up again, but she was determined not to spill anymore tears today.

" yes it is, you don't have to be afraid of showing me your body, I'm husband, for better or for worse remember" she let him take off her coat, leaving only her tunic, leggings and boots left. He could see the previous scars and bruises of her exposed arms, but him staring at them, didn't make her insecurities any better.

" I don't know hiccup"

" do you trust me?"

That was the big question, trust, did she trust him. Of course she did, he was hiccup after all, but she didn't trust herself, if she felt threatened she lashed out, she had spent so long trying to protect herself how can she now learn to trust again, learn to let people in.

Slightly nodding, he took her in his arms and brought his finger tips to the hem of her red tunic, he could sense her tensing up under his hands, he immediately slowed down his actions.

" Do you trust me?" He asked again, this time grabbing the tunics hem and lifted it a little, emphasising what his intentions were. She looked at where his hands were then back at him again, she moved closer to give his more access.

" I trust you, hiccup" he lifted her tunic slowly, revealing she was in fact quite bare from the waist up, she had forgotten about not putting on her breast binds this morning, however it was too late since by the time he threw her tunic on the floor she was already back faced to him, and her arms covering her exposed chest.

From his view he could see the bruises and gash marks in her back, imprinted him her skin, never to fade. Smirking he could see the embarrassment in his wife's face, he didn't even have to look at her to know this, her body language told him loud and clear.

He moved closer, ignoring her scars she had and wrapped his arms around her middle, so his chest was pressed against her back, he could feel her spine shiver underneath him, and hear her let out the breath she was holding when he placed a hot kiss on her neck.

" I've see your breasts before astrid" he whispered slowly.

" I know but that was a long time ago" she still held her arms up around her chest as she whispered back.

" Too long" he placed another kiss on her skin, but this time kept planting more all around her neck and collarbone, making her sink back into his embrace. She remove one of her hands and let it fall till she was holding the one of his hands that was still wrapped around her middle. It was enough for him to flip her around so she was now facing him fully, his arms pulling her in as they wrapped around her lower back, her hands resting on his now broad shoulders.

" After all these years Haddock, you still suprise me" she gave him a warm smile, which he gladly returned, pulling her as close as humanly possible embracing her with a warm hug.

" I've missed you" he whispered into her hair, pulling her even closer, breathing in his wife's scent he had missed so much.

" I've missed you too, dragon boy" giggling she ran her fingers deep into his thick hair. Even when he pulled back a little to face her, her hand still stayed deep in his auburn hair.

" No you don't understand, I couldn't live without you. Your everything in my life Astrid, without you I couldn't function. Your my significant other, my partner, my other half, my wife." She pulled his forehead down to meet hers.

" What about Stoick?" At the mention on their sons name, hiccup opened his eyes, to meet hers.

" He's different, your my everything, he's - well he is everything, everything I breath, and live for. You may me purpose Astrid, but he _is_ the purpose, he's what I live for, so I can give him a better life, even better than mine, which is going to be a hard task since I am married to you after all" his little statement earned him a smile.

" I love it when you talk about him"

" you will see when you meet him, he is amazing, he so perfect, so innocent, so intelligent" his smile grew as he continued to talk about his little boy.

" I guess he gets that from you then" she pulled him down further as she moved her hands from his hair to the back of his neck.

" Yeah but he gets many of his amazing qualities from you, like his passion of fighting, if he didn't ask once he asked a million times that he wanted a toy axe of his birthday, so I've had gobber make one like my dads. And his passion of winning, when we used to play fight he would always want to win, so of course I let him, I've learned from you, just to let the hoffersons win." She giggled as she brushed her lips across his, causing her to gain his full attention.

" When will I get to see him?" Her face was unreadable, but he knew she was dying to see her son, he could see that in her eyes.

" Tomorrow, I promise. By tomorrow night you will hold him in your arms" he saw her smile grow wide and large as her excitement grew.

" But now, you wanted to bathe, and bathe we shall." He pulled her up and crashed his lips with hers, kissing her with as much passion as he can, pulling her half naked body towards the pool.

xx

They sat in the warm steamy pool, hiccup sat on the sandy floor on the cave pool, while astrid was straddled on his lap, her head in the crook of his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her now soaked body. He was dragging his finger up and down her back, letting the water droplets, drop down her back and hearing her moan into his skin.

They had sat there for hours, after a bit of fumbling around and washing eachothers bodies the two now sat there together hiccups still wearing his briefs and still wearing her underwear, well her panties anyway. Astrid could feel her body heating up and not just from the warm from the pool, but the fire burning inside as hiccups drew his finger up her back again, it felt as if her skin was being set a light where ever he touched, in good way.

She brought her head up from where it lay and looked him in the face fully, his hand that was once moving now rested on her lowere back, his thumb rubbing her hipbone. She brought her arms up and rested them on his broad shoulders, he had a smile on his face, she could quite tell which smile it was, his happy smile, his sad sympathetic smile or his dirty minded smile. Kind of a mixture of all three, he had become unreadable to her and she didn't like it.

" what you thinking about?" His smile became wider, but she still couldn't read it.

" How happy I am to be holding my wife in my arms again, after it got to a point where I thought I would never see you again." He drew her closer, the water between them just disappeared as her stomach pressed against his.

" But I am here, I'm here and your not getting rid of me that easily, not again" she pushed forward connecting their lips together, tenderly grasping onto eachothers lips, her tongue brushed past his lips buts she didn't do any further, not yet.

He continued to keep to the promise he had made himself yesterday, he would not go too far with her, he would let her lead, but he hadn't realised that when bring his hand up towards her neck, he brushed the side of her breast and she flinched pulling back and bringing her arms around her chest.

" Sorry, I didn't-" he tried to apologise, but he could find the words. She was his wife and he was falling back into the old habits they used to have, he didn't know how to restrain himself.

" It's fine -" she interrupted when she could tell he was struggling with his words, still same old hiccup. " you did nothing wrong, I just - they used to - my breasts - they used to hurt my bre-" now she was the one lost of words. But by the way he was looking at her, she knew he got what she was trying to say.

They, meaning the captain and his crew, they like her breasts out of all the other women, she can remember every touch, every bruise, every scar they put in them. She can remember who did it and when they did it, like it was mentally scarred in her mind as well. Since just like the rest of her body, her breasts were badly bruised and sore, her whole body just aches.

" Ast, I'm - I'm so so sorry" he brought his hand up slowly, resting it on her collarbone/neck and rubbing her jawline with his thumb.

" I'm so sorry" he brought her closer again, letting her fall into his warm, protective em race and held her close.

" Hey shh, it's not your fault" she returned the embrace herself.

" But it is, I'm your husband. This should have never happened to you and now-" she pulled back when her didn't finish, there was a pool of water forming in her hiccups eyes, just threatening to fall.

He looked at her, all of her. The bruises and scars that ran down her arms, her chest, her breasts, her ribs, her stomach. Everywhere. Even her legs look all battered and bruised.

She could see the conflict in her husbands eyes, whether or not to comfort her or blame himself. So she grabbed his hands and placed them on the side of her ribs, just below her breast, for if his thumb were to move slightly he would graze the bottom of them.

" I want you to touch them, eventually. I want to go back to the way we were, but first you have to stop blaming yourself for what happened, and then I just need to get over what they did to me and move on," he looked at her, determined to make their marriage work again.

" I love you, and I'm not letting go of you, so please don't let go of me, please" her drew his fingers around her back and pulled her in again, their foreheads touch and their eyes closed, her arms resting on his shoulder once more.

" Never" a few tears escaped from both parties as the two just sat their for a minute in what felt like their intimate embrace. But astrid was the one to pull apart first, wiping her own, as well as hiccups, tears away.

" Okay no more tears, I've done enough crying so far, I want break. Tell me something," he looked at her as she sat their on his lap chest exposed, she was not a shy now he had told her a million times when getting in the pool before that he loves her body, no matter what shape or form or state it's in, because it's hers.

However he did have one thing on his mind, one thing he had forgotten to bring up with the rest of them before. But maybe best he tell astrid first, alone, so she can decide from there.

" There is one thing I wish to discuss" he said, emphasising one with his finger.

" What?"

" I meant to bring it up before, when we sat down for breakfast, I wanted to tell the others as well. Mila our head healer here in camp wants to do a body scan of all the escapees, to check your injuries and see if their is any sort of infection or something wrong on the inside, look at past injuries too, see if we can fix what was broken in the past" he rubbed her back as he spoke, but it didn't help her situation as she narrowed her eyes as he spoke.

" What sorta body scan?" She was more afraid of the answer.

" Just a full body scan, look at your injuries and past ones too" she could feel her whole body tense up.

" Will she be able to find out everything they did to me?" She could already feel her body go on full lock down.

" More or less, mila is every talented she can do a body scan and look at injuries that were inflicted about five years ago, anything after that is a bit hazy but other than that she is amazing. She can help you heal." She had stopped listening after ' more or less' if she had found out what they did to her, if hiccup found out. She felt physically sick at the thought and her immediate though was to back out now.

" No, I don't - I - I don't want one - I " she felt the hot tears spill, and again she felt weak and exposed. Her husbands reaction was immediately to comfort her.

" Hey it's okay" he shushed her trying to calm her from her panic attach.

" No I don't want one" her breaths became unsteady.

" why? This will help you heal, help you move on" he shushed her again, but her panic attach had only been building up as she soon just snapped.

" NO! I DONT WANT ONE!" She climbed off his lap and jumped out the pool, running to picnic and furs, wrapping one around her now cold and exposed body, trying to get dry so she could change.

Hiccup wasn't far behind as she climbed out just behind confused on what was going on, he wrapped himself up too before he tried to speak. " Astrid don't you want to know if - if there is any sorta infection-"

" I don't want one" she interrupted.

" But what if there is something internal wrong -"

" I said no" again she interrupted.

" how are you supposed to heal if you don't-"

" NO! I DONT WANT ANYONE TOUCHING MY BODY AND TELLING ME WHAT THEM MEN DID TO ME, CAUSE I WAS THERE, I KNOW!" She stood up at this point, so the two were at eye level but still a few feet apart.

She yelled again which only made him yell too, " THEN HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO MOVE ON, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO MOVE ON-"

" IF YOU KNEW WHAT THEY DID TO ME, YOU'D - YOU'D-" she could finish, for she did not know exactly how he would react, he could go either ways.

" I'D WHAT, YOU DONT KNOW HOW I WOULD REACT ASTRID, YOU DONT KNOW" he was angry at her, how could she know what he would think, he would had thought she would have given him a little more credit after all they have been through.

" I KNOW YOU WOULD HATE ME! SO WHY? WHY KEEP GOING ON ABOUT THAT FUCKING SCAN?" His blood boiled and her just let out what he was trying too keep in.

" BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU CAN HAVE MORE CHILDREN! I WANTED TO KNOW if - if you could have our children" the last bit came out all quite, as he was tired, tired of fighting with the women he loved.

As he brought a hand to his forehead, rubbing the side of his eyes, he had not yet heard a single word from astrid. " you don't know how I would react, because I've already gone through all the worst case scenarios, and I'd still love you" he looked up to see she was just staring back at him.

" You don't know what they did to me" she whispered back.

" I know, but it can't be worse than what I'm thinking in my head, and I still love you"

He looked back at her, in her eyes wanted some sorta response. And he got one.

" No matter how much they hurt, or tortured me, not matter how many days or weeks or months and even years that went by, at night when I couldn't sleep, I would think about coming home to you and Stoick, think about reconnecting our family, our marriage. And I would think about having more children, little brothers and sisters for Stoick, for no matter what they did to me I still wanted that"

" so if it means taking the scan to know if I can bare children, bare our children. Then I'll do it" her hot tears kept flowing, but it suddenly felt better when she felt him wrap around her, feeling his arms lock around her keeping her safe.

" Thank you" he kissed the top of her scalp.

She still cried into his shoulder and he let her, for a husband it was his job to be her pillow to cry on.


	5. Picking up her broken pieces

He sat waiting in the healers tent, in the waiting area, his prosthetic clicking on the floor again and again as he nervously waited on hearing the news about his wife. He remembered the conversation on the way there the promise she asked him to make.

" Just you, me and mila, no one else. Don't tell anyone I've done this, not even our friends please, please just promise me this."

Them words went over and over in his head, he could hear the wobbly tone in her voice, over and over. He clicked his prosthetic again, looking around the healers tent as his mind played tricks on him. He sat in the entrance, which was also the waiting area the healers tent was one of the biggest tent in their camp other than the food tent and the chiefs tent. It split up into different rooms, one entrance which he sat in and then three healers rooms, the only thing keeping him from them rooms was a sheet of fabric. Astrid was in the room to his right, if he looked carefully he could see her shadow, she was laying on the wooden table while mila walked around examining her. He knew of one other room straight ahead, that's where the healers do their 'science' stuff. Blood testing, urine testing, making antibiotics creams. The things they do baffles him, but he let them do their miracles, since their miracles had saved lives.

He clicked his prosthetic again, and the opening of a sheet door caught his attention, however it was not the one to the right, but to the left. The entrance door opened wide and toothless' head popped in. Giving his rider one big gummy smile.

And hiccup could help but smile back, as his friend came trotting in and sprawled on the ground next to hiccup, placing his large head on his best friends lap. And soon enough hiccups hand was on his head, scratching his scales in all the right spots.

" I'm scared bud" toothless opened his big green eyes and looked at his rider.

" What - what if she can't bare anymore children, what if she is now barren" he gave a massive sigh causing toothless to sit up straight and look at the man, only to see hiccup place too elbows on his knees and rest his head in his hands.

" Or worse, what if all the things I keep thinking in my head, all these nightmares I think she had been through, what if they are true" the large dragon bent his head and snuffed closer to his friend.

" It's my fault" the two sat in silence, but not for long and that one room to his right opened, and mila walked out.

The two boys raised their heads and immediately mila looked towards toothless, the big eyesore in the middle of her tent.

" He can't be here, there are sick Viking's here" she walked off in the direction towards the testing room and hiccup had to deal with his big scaled friend.

" Okay toothless out," he scooted him out of the entrance to the outside, popping his head through the tents door he said to his friend," I'll be out in a minute, just wait here Okay" the dragon nodded his head and sat immediately waiting patiently.

He popped back inside, mila was no where to be seen. Until she walked out of the testing room holding a board with a sheet of writing paper on it, she immediately addressed him, placing her board on a near by table. She waited for him to walk up to her, and he waisted no time.o

" I've took blood, urine and fluid samples, they are getting tested now to see if your wife came have anymore, it should take a few hours, since our resources aren't the best, I'll come and find you two when they are done." He nodded his head, that's all he had expected from the body examination, he hadn't expected for what came next.

" These here" she held the board up with the paper on it and held it his way. " are your wife's injuries, from start to finish over the last two years. She asked me for you to read them, says she would rather you find out like this than having her tell you herself" he took the board but did not look just yet. Mila left him, and he sat back down on the bench he wasn't on before.

He slowly looked down to the paper and slowly looked over Mila's notes. Reading through his eyes scanned over, beaten, battered, whipped, stabbed, his eyes then scanned over burned, drowned, broken bones, broken ribs, beaten, finger nails ripped out, whipped, multiple bones healed wrong, raped, abused, sexually abused, whipped, fingers broken, toes broken, whipped, stabbed, abused, abused, raped, pregnant. He stopped and looked carful at the next bit.

' Victim fell pregnant through rape, then beaten to miscarriage'

Abused, whipped, pregnant, beaten, miscarriage, finger nails, burned, drowned, sleep deprived, raped, sexually abused, pregnant, whipped, beaten, miscarriage -

Ge places the board down, he couldn't read anymore, he had gotten to six months ago, if he had to read anymore he would have been sick. He felt sick.

His eyes scanned over to the entrance of the room where his wife was waiting, slowly he stood but, every step felt like it weighed him down and he made it to where the sheet was now in front of him, all he had to do was lean forward and pull the sheet back. But he waited, hesitated. Calming himself down he then pulled his hand forward and drew the sheet back.

She sat on the wooden table, wearing the long tunic dress the healers provided, he back was facing him, as She had her knees in her chest, hugging them with her arms, he could hear her silent cry's as he walked in, he would have come in quietly if it hadn't been for his leg, as he took a step, it clicked into place, causeing astrid To turn towards him and look at him through her now red puffy eyes.

" Did you read it?" He said nothing, only nodding. But he didn't even need to do that, he could see it in his eyes, as it told her what he had saw, since his eyes only showed horror.

Her tears fell again as he took slow strides towards her, " I told you once you know we can never go back, you'll hate me, you will never look at me the same" she curled up again, feeling violated, feeling rotten, feeling wrong.

He still walked up to her, waiting on the edge of the table.

" look at me astrid" she didn't at first, but slowly she did, her eyes still full of water, making it hard to read the expression on her husbands face.

" It wasn't your fault" pulling her into his chest with the arms she hadn't released that had wrapped around her, she buried her head into his neck, feeling his tears drop on the tunic she had on, and feeling his hot breath warm her up.

" It's not your fault sweetie, never was" he hugged her close, wrapping his arms around her even more, making it more possible for her to bring up her arms and wrap it around his neck, but making it impossible to them to break apart.

xx

After what seemed like hours of them sitting in silence and hold eachother close, hiccup took his loving wife back to their tent, giving her back her old clothes to dress in and she was now sat in the middle of their bed as she waited patiently for hiccup to come back with the food she asked for.

Now her past was out in the open with him, and knowing he still loved her after that, she felt a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders, but the food deprivation of not eating for the last two days was now getting to her, and after constantly saying she was not hungry she suddenly had the urge to eat a yak. Whole.

So hiccup being the loving husband he is simply replied to her request, " anything for milady" placing a long passionate kiss on her lips before leaving her still in the middle of changing.

It seemed like ages but really it was only ten minutes that he was gone, but as her stomach grumbled and ached with pain, you could imagine the delight that astrid felt when hiccup came back with a big bowl of beef broth, it sound horrible, cut up cow, potatoes and vegetables mixed in hot water with a hint a parsley. To any Viking it wasn't the best. But now astrid understood why snotlout nearly choked this down, cause this was heaven compared to the sick shit they had been eating for two damn years.

She hummed as soon as the spoon entered her mouth, she chewed on the potatoes and beef, finally something to chew on, and could feel the hot juice trail down her mouth. She could see when opening her eyes, hiccup sat facing her, smile planted on his face, leaning against the wooden pole that was at the side of the bed, the pole that kept the tent up like the rest. And she could see through that smile, he was truly happy to have her back.

" Thank you"

She said as she finished off her bowl, he watched as she placed it on the table beside the bed and the crawled over to him, till she was sat in between his legs and her back was pressed up against his chest with his arms wrapped around her securely.

" when was the last time you ate?" He asked as she snuggled into his tunic, " two days ago" she hummed.

" Why eat now?" His curiosity got the best of him.

" I don't know," she sat up but still hiccups arms stayed wrapped around her " I guess all this pressure was building up inside of me, the thought of tell you everything just started to bundle up. And then when you finally did find out the weight fell off my shoulders and I suddenly realised how hungry I actually was" she turned to look at him, he had that loving look on his face, the one he had on his and hers wedding day, he took his hand up to her face and brushed his thumb on her cheek, before leaning in and kissing his wife with another passionate kiss.

" I love you so much" he murmured against her lips, and then kissed her again and again, till she was sat straddled on his lap and her hands were interlocked in the locks of his hair.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer as she kissed him like she used too, pulling him in with the hands in his hair, she loved the way he moaned when her nails scraped across his scalp. His hands then suddenly fell to her waist, to her thighs, stoking them up and down as their lips collided together and hiccups weight falling onto the wooden frame.

" I missed you" he mumbled.

Their gasps and breaths got louder as their moment heated up and in the moment hiccup took the chance to lie her down on the bed and kiss her exposed skin. She stroked his head and the back of his neck, humming as his lips traveled down her neck to her collarbone.

" Chief! I oh - sorry" mila came barging in with paper work in her hand, but wasn't expecting to see the chief top on his wife on their bed. But they quickly separated as hiccup climb off sitting next to astrid as she flustered and embarrassed sitting up too.

" Mila, no no come on in, what can I do for you?" She walked in more, but still stayed a few feet away from the bed.

" I - err - I have your wife's results " she showed the paper work to the couple, and immediately hiccup felt astrids hand slip into his.

" Oh" he looked to astrid who's eyes didn't leave the paper work in Milas hand. " Astrid?" He looked at her until she finally looked back, through the tears in her eyes she nodded.

" It's okay mila, you can tell us" he gave astrids hand a squeeze and the two waited for an answer.

Mila looked down at the couple, she had no emotion on her face, so astrid couldn't tell if it was good news or bad. She was so nervous the nerves in hiccups hand was being cut off, since astrid was squeezing it to hard, but hiccup never noticed since his mind was busy else where.

" i took the test, it came back positive" she said, still emotionless.

" Positive what, can I or can't I still have children?" Astrid questioned. But she didn't need an answer as Milas blank face turned into a smile, " you can have children"

And all of a sudden that breath, that weight on their shoulders, the lot of it escaped in that one moment as the two embraced eachother with a hug, holding one another close. " I knew it, I knew it" Hiccup whispered into hair as she was clinging onto the back of his neck.

By the time the two pulled back to place a kiss on their lips, mila had already left, she left leaving the two to take in the moment by themselves. When hiccup saw they were alone, he pulled his long lost wife on this lap, hugging her more, letting himself fall back onto the bed, holding one another close, letting sleep finally consume the two.

xx

He could feel it under his arms, the shaking, the wriggling, the feeling of true terror under his fingertips.

As he stirred awake in his little temporary pop up bed. He looked through his blurred vision around his tent to see what had awoken him. He could feel it again, but this time the jolt from under his arms came with a scream, a scream of his wife, as she wriggled under his fingertips, mumbling, whimpering and screaming.

" no no no no! Please!" Her whimper became more clearer as he became more wide awake.

" Ast?" His mind said one thing but as he spoke, it came out slurred.

" No, no, no!" Murmuring in his night tunic, he could feel the heat radiating off of her as her dream escalated. He started to rub her back hoping it would wake her as he himself tried to properly wake up.

" Astrid?" She started to shake pushing against hiccups body, shoving his sides with her hands.

" Get off of me!" She yelled giving one finally push and falling off the tiny little bed the two had squeezed on, the fall, hitting the hard cold ground woke her from her dream. As she jolted awake, she looked to her surroundings, only to find she was not on the ship, but in her husbands tent. She looked up towards the bed where her hiccup looked over the side, concern written all over his face.

She immediately got up from where she was, walking away from the bed to the seating area not far. " Astrid?" He sat up on the bed, the moon light shining through the gap in the tent opening on to his skin.

" I don't want to talk about it" her voice mumbled as she sat on the wooden bench, back facing him.

" Astrid?" He fumbled around under the bed trying to find his leg, he had previously took off the night before. Finally finding it, he pulled it out and started to place it on, once secure he got up slowly and started walking towards where the blonde was sat. She didn't make a move when hearing his steps behind her, however she did flinch when his hand touched her shoulder. He sat next to her on the bench, yet still her back faced him.

" You wanna talk about it?" His had still lingering on her shoulder.

She didn't answer, only shaking her head. He moved closer, now wrapping his arms around her middle, pulling her back into his chest, and firmly resting his chin on her shoulder, but not before kissing that spot behind her ear as a sigh of reassurance.

Even when she tried to show no emotion, she couldn't help but fall into his husbands embrace, letting his arms hold her close, letting him make her feel safe, since they were behind closed curtains of their tent.

" It's okay, it's okay" he hugged her close, letting her small fragile frame sink further into his body, not minding the little pressure.

" It's not okay, I'm now afraid to close my eyes" she whispered quietly. He only kissed the side of her head before speaking up, " it's going to take time astrid, you don't always have to wear this armour, " he gestured to her body language " you can take it off, especially around me. It's only been a day astrid, it going hard, but I'm here for you, every step." She moved her head, so it was resting more into his neck.

" I love you, so much" and he brought her in for a deep kiss.

xx

Dawn was raising onto the calm and peaceful grounds that the Berks camp was based, there was no movement, no body awake, but as soon as the sunlight hits the openings of the campers tent, one by one the vikings awoke. Today was the day that they were to pack up and head home. So as dawn continued the people of Berk started to prepare.

" Right yer wee scallywaggs I don't wanna see anyone of yer lazy arses slacking this mornin, every man and woman up and out before I kick yer out with mi metal leg, yer hear" gobber yelled to all the morning people of the day, as men and women started to leave their tents.

" Yes gobber we hear!" Snot loud screamed as he and ruff were heading to the breakfast tent.

" Oh of course not you snotlout, orders off the chief to let the ex prisoners take it slow today" gobber said wide smile on his face, his moustache turning up at the ends. But snotlout only waved him off heading to the tent holding ruffs hand.

" Gobber?" Erets voice yelled from behind the long moustached man, as he turned to see, Eret and heather came running up behind.

" yes laddie"

" what's our orders?" He asked hands on his hips.

" Simple, just like we planned, start packing things up and put most of the heavy weighted on the remaining dragons, and anything else in the barrels we will push them the half way point. No important orders off the chief, when we get to the half way point we will meet up with spitlout and a few more villages from home," as he continues dagur tuff and fish legs listen in, " and our allies, their we will get a few more dragons to light the load and supplies to keep us going, be able to fly us home, should reach Berk but the end of tonight, hopefully"

" hopefully?" Fish questioned.

" Well its like hiccup said we could run into those who want their slaves back," He nodded over to the group of escapees as they all ate their breakfast and tried their best to regain their strength, val, snotlout and ruff being a few for example.

" Speaking of which were is the chief?" Dagur asked not coping Eret standing pose.

" That my friend is a good question" as the group looked to see their chief and his wife, mulch came running up to the group.

" Eret!" His name being called gained Eret attention, " Eret? You have to tell the chief something"

xx

" chief!" That word, that bloody word was the reason he has nightmares, as his title was yelled hiccup shot up from where he had previously lay in his bed, spooning ever so lovingly his wife.

" I'm up!" He yelled jumping up from his space, the sudden movement waking his wife in the process.

" sorry chief," Eret said as he entered the tent.

" No, whats wrong my friend?"

" Well act nothing, it's the rangers last night they spotted the survivors from the ship wreck, they were fleeing south, away from camp, away from Berk" his smile wider than ever.

" Good, and is everyone preparing to leave?"

" Yes, like you said we are letting the escapees take it easy, but every working men and women are up and started on taking the tents down." Eret was always good at being the chiefs second hand man, that's why hiccup pats himself on the back for giving him the position, even though gobber has his say, since being a second farther hiccup takes his opinions on board, he was getting on the the chiefs second hand needed to be young and alert. Like Eret.

" Thank you Eret, err could you give us a minute to dress and then I will be out with you in a minute" Eret looked at his friends eyes, the eyes of someone who hadn't slept very well, and as he glanced over to where Astrid sat, she too had the same eyes. Rough night. Nodding his head and slowly backing out Eret quickly said.

" Sure, but take your time, not need to rush," and yet again they were alone.

Hiccup turned to astrid who was not perched on the edge of the bed, " sorry for the rude awaking, but when someone wants something they usually just holler.

She giggled as he sat next to her, hands immediately finding hers. " I knew that before I married you"

" Yeah I guess, but everyone is so used to barging in, cause I'm -" He was interrupted.

" Because you were usually alone" she signed.

" Yeah. But enough talk, let's get up, we have a long day after all, but tonight will make all the walking and the lugging all worth it, cause tonight you get to see our son again."

xx

They walked out hand in hand, Hiccup dressed now he usual flight suit, the only difference was the chiefs fur cape he had pinned to his shoulders, when hiccup first became chief and started to wear his farther cape, Astrid had always said how sexy it made him, she still does. To this day only five minutes ago when he threw the cape over his shoulders she made the comment, " I was starting to forget how sexy you look in that cape, it was a real turn on, Still is".

Astrid was just dressed in some brown leggings with her normal fur boots on, making her legs look so tiny, which hiccup always seemed to love, she had a plain cream tunic, one of hiccups night tunics she had begged him for her to wear, but no one would see as she had a woolen coat made out of real goats fur to hide the tunic and to keep her warm from the autumn/winter morning breeze.

Walking out her eyes seemed to adjust to the bright light of sunlight, being stuck in a cage she seem to get used to the dull look of stone walls and cages. She could see her people, the people of Berk and a few men and soldiers from berserker island all walking about packing up camp.

" What time we looking at leaving?" She asked hiccup as the two walked through the camp.

" In about an hour, maybe two at a push, it's all hands on deck" the two were heading towards to were Eret and gobber were having a very heated conversation with his mother, and what hiccup knew about the Haddock women, they were so stubborn.

The two jogged over when they saw the little squabble between the three as they got closer they could hear the conversation become more clearer.

" Because Val it's for your own safety, chiefs orders" gobber said in his reassuring voice, hiccup had only heard that voice a few times in his life time.

" Chief orders or not, I'm more help with carrying boxes than sitting on my arse, I've sat on my ass for the last two years, I need to get up and do things, otherwise I'll just drive myself crazy."

" mrs H no disrespect or anything, we are just concerned of your health" Eret perked up from the side.

" Well laddie I have been perfect health for nearly fifty years so no disrespect to you but I'd rather not take orders from a boy" she spat using that mother voice she had learned to use over the years.

" Mom your not taking orders from anyone, it's just an option," hiccup said jogging up to his mother, Astrid behind him. " we are just think about your physical conditions that's all, if you or any of the escapees want to help then you can help out, but take on milas advice about your physical conditions and just take it easy please mom, that's all I ask." Hiccup said pulling her in for a hug.

" Okay son, that's all I wanted, so where do you need me?" She turned to gobber, who still had a concern look on his face, but one glare from Hiccup he immediately jumped to the task.

" Err well err we could definitely use help in the - the - the" He looked to Eret for support.

" Medical" he slipped out, as it was the first thing that came to mind.

" Yes medical" gobber agreed, " we could use help in medical, you know loading up the supplies to get ready to go. You think your up for it"

" I'm up for anything at the moment" she left the men to head towards the medical tent which was half way done from being all packed up.

" right that's one Haddock dealt with, please tell me your wife isn't going to be as complicated as stoicks" gobber said turning to hiccup, still not seeing the blonde stood behind their chief.

" Actually," Astrid poppednout from behind her husband and gobber had already regretted what he had just said." I was wondering what I could do to help"

The three men looked at each other as the blonde stood there, arms crossed, but no one wanted to take her on, so that's why when hiccup felt the two move slowly away from the couple, he felt as if he was left to talk to his wife, since he was the husband after all.

" Of course Astrid, of course you can help," he didn't want to anger the lion " we just want to make sure you guys take it easy that's all" he could still feel two sets of eyes behind him as the two talked. As hiccup looked over his shoulder he could still see gobber and eret stood watching.

" Err guys?" He glared through his eyes till the lads finally got the message.

" Oh right "

" I have places to be"

the two left, leaving the two alone.

" As I was saying, just be carful, be mindful to what mila said about your condition and don't over do yourself okay" that voice, that face, he only did that when talking to her, she secretly loved it, meant he cared so much. But being Astrid she did an astrid thing.

" Hiccup your doing it again, babying me like I don't know when to stop pushing myself" she crossed her arms once more but hiccup was already questioning her statement with a raised eyebrow.

" What? I can stop myself"

" Yeah and you also let people tell you what to do" his sarcasm slipping out.

" What ever hiccup, I know when to stop hiccup, I'm not as strong as I used to be" and yet again her arms found themselves wrapped around her body in that secure position. A position hiccup had learned was a sorta insecurity thing.

" Okay, and that's why I worry, but if you think you can help, then that's great," she gave him a warm smile and dropped her arms back to the side, as hiccup looked around the camp for any sort of job he could give his wife.

" Okay, your going to hate me for this but, their are men going to pack up our tent in the next fifteen minutes while I'm around camp being chief and all, but I'd really appreciate it if you could go and help, their are some stuff that is important, chief stuff, like maps and plans all in the trunks, so if you could deal with that, that would be great" he gave her a sorta awkward smile unsure how she would take it.

Astrid shrugged her shoulders at the thought, sure there was something better she could do, but right now she would take anything, like valka said, if she just sat down and did nothing she would drive herself mad.

" Sure, Okay"

He knew by that smile she was disappointed by the task, but at least he would know she was safe and not putting herself at risk with just packing up their tent.

" thank you" he placed a kiss on her forehead rubbing both his hands on the sides of her upper arms.

" I'll be here and there for the rest of the day, you need anything, come find me okay" He went to walk off but he got the sense he was leaving her rather upset, so he thought he best leave her in a high note. Stepping closer to her, he scooped her up in his arms and planted a kiss right on her lips. At first it caught her by surprise but finally she sunk into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling her chief closer to her embrace.

" I really have to go, but I'll try and squeeze a few minutes in to come and see you" pulling her forehead closer to his smirk as large as hers.

" Okay, I'll keep you to that" and once again she watched him walk away.

xx

He should be stood there, he should be doing his job but he could help it. As the men took down the sheets and posts of his tent, he could see Astrid walking around, collecting all the bits of paper, like his maps and plan he had done over the years. He watched as toothless stayed clinging to her legs just like he had asked his best friend to do, helping her pack the clothes into the little pouches that was attached to his back. He should be at work, but as he watched Astrid walk around the remains of his tent, he could help his mind wandering to when he first lost her.

 _2 years earlier_

 _The ship rocked from side to side, as the long Viking boat sailed through the rough waters of the archipelago. The waters were rough and strong as it hit the sides of the berks four long boats, but that didn't bother the chief. The moans and groans and screams of the wounded filled the air as healers rushed around to stop them from bleeding to death, but that didn't bother the chief. The cries of his son, from the crib that sat next to him, Screeching through the air, letting it travel to all those that could hear, and that didn't bother the chief. He left them, he left his people, he left his home, he left his friend and his mother, he left his wife there. That's what bothered the chief. His mind churned but he couldn't tell if it was the boat or not. The cries of his boy could be hear by everyone but not him, as he turned to the small babe, he could see the boy wailing but could couldn't hear it. He couldn't hear anything, not ever gobber, his farthers loyal friend and a guardian to him, shout his name three times._

 _" Chief?" No answer._

 _" Chief?" No answer._

 _" Chief?!" No answer._

 _He didn't hear any of it, all he heard was the voices in his head. You left them. You left them. YOU left HER._

 _It was only when the man hiccup saw as a second farther, crouched down beside him, hand on his shoulder and spoke his name._

 _" Hiccup?" He turned his head, eyes full of tears and for the first time since they had left the docks of Berk did he speak._

 _" I left them" the older man only wore concern on his face as he watched this boy he had known since birth question every decision._

 _" Oh lad, you didn't know-"_

 _" I shouldn't have left them" he rubbed his shoulder for support._

 _" If we stayed, if you went back, you could have been caught, we all could have been caught, what kinda life is that for your boy, you made the right decision" at the mention of his son, hiccup turn to the still wailing babe, which now became more clear, and loud. A new borns screens could scare away any nightmares you had and replace them with new ones._

 _The two men now looked at the child." He needs his farther hiccup, he needs human contact. The little laddie has only just been born" gobber tried his best to get the boy to hold his son._

 _" He needs his mother, and I left her behind" still looking at the baby his mind flooded with guilt._

 _" stop hiccup, it was not yer fault, yer couldn't have done anymore, or that baby of yers could be spending his first few hours in a cage or worse, they could have killed him because of his importance to you and our village, he is the new hope hiccup, and right now it is yer job to keep that little hope alive. Cause gods help me if yer don't when we get you mrs back I will personally stand on the side lines and watch as she beats you half to death for neglecting you own bloody boy, yer hear?!" His voices raised at the end making him gain the hound chiefs attention._

 _Without saying another word, hiccup turned to the screaming baby, not knowing what he wanted. Or how to even pick him up._

 _He awkwardly leaned over, letting his arms come in front and wrap around the small frame of the new born. As he slowly picked him up, he prayed he didn't drop the lad, finally he pulled the babe up to his chest so the little frame was pressed against his flight suit, but the boy still cried._

 _He turned to gobber for some sort of help, and the older man made a little rocking motion, since when hiccup was a tiny dot gobber would rock him to sleep while his farther was out chiefing._

 _Following the motion hiccup finally got the hang of it, and the cries started to die down, which earned a thanks off many of the other Viking's on the boat as they could finally hear themselves think._

 _Hiccup soon got so confident as got up from where he sat and started swaying around the boat, nursing the boy into a hopefully deep sleep. The baby began to coo and gurgle, but ultimately was starting to drift off, and since no one else wanted the screens of the new Haddock member to fill the air, the rest of the boat stayed quiet, whispering and shuffling around._

 _Especially when Eret walked up to his best mate hugging his small boy in his arms and quietly tried to gain his attention._

 _" Chief?" He whispered._

 _Hiccup still swaying not wanting to wake the screaming banshee walked over to his second hand man slowly._

 _" Yeah" again he whispered back._

 _" We're here" and hiccup swiftly turned around taking a few steps forward to see, they had made it to berserker island._

 _xx_

 _Of course the ships of Berk were welcomed in to berserker waters with open arms, and one by one the Viking got off the boats and made their way to the main hall, all wanting to know what will be the next plan of action._

 _Making their way in hiccup and a few trusted peopl were guided into the back to obviously meet the leaders of this island, and their friends. Eret was first to walk in._

 _" And who the fuck are you?" Dagur said holding his axe out towards the ex trapper ready to make a move, while heather sat on the side lines, waiting to see what this new face would do._

 _" Woah woah woah" fishlegs, the jolly, calm, peacemaking of a Man he is stepped in front of the armed man and his tattooed friend not wanting the first ten minutes on this island to become a blood bath._

 _" Getbout the way fishy, I wouldn't want to harm you beautiful face with my axe when I throw it at the intruder." Marking his aim, making Eret become more threatened._

 _" You wouldn't want to do that laddie" gobber was next to walk in, along with tuffnut as well, who was still in a daze at the thought of loosing his twin._

 _" And why is that?" Dagur being Dagur questioned._

 _" Because he's my second hand man, and also my friend" hiccup walked in behind the two, it had taken him longer due to the babe on his shoulder. As soon as he walked in Dagur dropped his weapon and heather shot up from her seat, seeing the tiny human in his hands. She walked over quickly, ignoring all the rest and came up to the two lads._

 _" Well hello" she spoke softly as he greeting was obviously meant for the little one._

 _" May I?" She gestured for her to take the baby off him and holding him herself. A bit unsure at first he slowly handed his son to her. His son, his boy. The only thing he had left of his wife right now._

 _" Oh hello cutie," she took the baby from him, holding his tiny frame in her arms rocking the still sleepy boy side to side._

 _" You look just like your daddy, maybe even cuter," she turned to hiccup at this stage, " what's his name?"_

 _" Stoick" he answered, with a smile on his face as he now looked at his boy properly. A few gasps from the others for hearing his name for the first time._

 _" Hello stoick, Yes you definitely are cuter that your daddy, but I bet you have your mother's temper hey?" She held the little one close, but could feel tension rise in the room at the mention of the chiefs wife._

 _" Where is astrid?" She looked over to hiccup who's face fell. She then turned to the other who's faces did the same. " and ruff? And snot? Where are our friends? Where is your mom hic?" She now faced hiccup, who couldn't bring himself to look up._

 _" What happened at Berk? Why are you here?" He finally lifted his head, " we were attacked, they came out of no where. You remember that terrible terror I sent you the other month, about the slaughters and the slave trade. It was them, they came in the night and before we knew it we were surrounded and astrid was in labour. We didn't stand a chance." She couldn't read through the lines, she didn't know what that meant for her friends._

 _" Oh my god are they dead?"_

 _" We don't know?" Tuff spoke up._

 _" And you left them?" She looked over to hiccup who had still kept his head down sheepishly._

 _" they could be killed, or taken, or tortured. And you left them?" She yelled at him, the baby still in her arms, none of them noticed that he began to stir._

 _" Easy lass" gobber said. That's when Dagur came up to her. " easy sister, war has casualties, but it's our job to get justice for them casualties." He put his hands on her shoulders easing her breathing down as well as her temper._

 _" There is no one that blames themselves more than me" hiccup voice spoke out, gaining the brother and sisters attention._

 _" I'm sorry, it's just you guys have been my friends for nearly 10 years. I'm sorry hiccup, I know how much astrid means to you." The small cries of stoick got everyone's attention as hiccup shuffled closer to his raven haired friend to take his boy back._

 _" Here, I got him" he took the small bundle off of her, pulling his son up into his arms. Which caused Dagur to maybe take some action with their guests on their island._

 _" I think we need to to get you guys some rooms, you need some rest, but hiccup tonight I will personally send out terrible terrors to our allies all around the archipelago, they attacked the heart of the archipelago alliance, you brought the six most strongest tribes together and now one of them tribes is down, we will bring the alliance system together, just like we sighed it for." He placed a strong, firm hand on his shoulder._

 _" Dagur," he started, but for once he was lost for words, he had forgotten the alliance system he had set up 2 years ago when they had first heard of these slaughters and slave trades going around the seas of the archipelago, it was actually astrid when they were just newly weds suggested that Berk and five other strong Viking tribes form an alliance against this threat, and it worked._

 _" No need to day anything brother, tonight you rest, but tomorrow, we will answer the drums of war. They can not get away with this hiccup, they will not get away with this, this drago will finally learn what the six tribes of the archipelago can do." All Hiccup could do was smile, as the exhaustion and sorrow was catching up on him, it had been a long, hard day. And now at like four in the morning, all he need was sleep, so he could regain his strength and figure out a plan to get his people back._

 _" come, I'll show you guys to your rooms, we will set up some tents for you" him and heather started to guide the other out, but as they walked out to were the tents were already being put up, Dagur dragged Hiccup and the new Haddock member a side._

 _" No brother, you can have my room for you stay here" confused at what his deranged friend was saying, Hiccup didn't know what to say._

 _" What?"_

 _" You really think I'm going to let a new born sleep in a tent, no, the babe needs a warm room, you take mine and I'll take your tent. I insist." With one pat on the shoulder Dagur went to leave to help the rest but didn't get far as hiccups voice called him back._

 _" Dagur?" The Chief turned around to the other chief, " you can call him stoick, you are his deranged uncle after all" he shot his friend the famous hiccup smirk, as Dagur really took to heart the statement his friend had made._

 _" Thank you brother" and he finally left the two._

 _xx_

 _The two haddocks walked into the chiefs house, and immediately hiccups eyes fell onto heather pouring him a drink, he stopped after closing the door, she walked up to him and handed him the steaming hot cup._

 _" It's herbal tea, supposed to help you sleep." She said with a smile, Hiccup gladly excepted, but as he did stoick began to stir awake in his arms and soon enough he was back to rocking his baby boy, trying to get him back to sleep._

 _" Got anything for him?" He joked, but heather only laughed, " unfortunately no, but I hear babies can be stubborn like that, or maybe it's just because he's a Haddock" the haddock boy only cried more as the two laughed at heathers little tease._

 _" I'll leave you too it then" she walked out leaving Hiccup with his son, but the moment she had left Hiccup suddenly felt really lonely, as the boy only screamed louder and hiccup felt a little more useless._

 _The boy cried for what seemed to be hours, hiccup tried everything that came to mind, rocking him, swaying with him, finally he placed him in the crib that Dagur had provided and slowly rocking him back and forth in that wooden crib._

 _But his son would not sleep it got to half five in the morning and hiccup had finally released he had been awake for 24 hours and he could feel it on his eyelids._

 _Finally as he felt it couldn't get any worse, the door of the bedroom opened and a familiar face walked in, Phlegma the fierce, she was know as a physiatrist, but hiccup saw her as a scientist as well, one who liked to take risks and test things for herself._

 _" Hello Chief" she said, she seemed well, like she had a full nights sleep, probably cause she did._

 _" Hi phlegma what can I do for you?" His groggy voice came out more quietly than he planned._

 _" Well it's actually what I can do for you, would you mind if I took him for a few hours, you could You the rest, and he could use the feed" at first he thought it was an amazing idea, sleep, something so simple but right now Hiccup would kill for it. But then the word 'feed' caught his attention and it got him thinking, stoick hadn't been fed since he was born, a new born was supposed to share that contact with its mother , guessing he won't be sharing that contact with Astrid for a while now._

 _" Right," he got up, picking up his son in the process, the babe still screeched loudly._

 _" He was supposed to share that with his mother" he still rocked with the boy in his arms, not knowing if he wanted his son to bond with another woman._

 _" I understand that Chief, but the poor babe needs a feed, he's starving. It won't be personal I promise, no bonding I'll just feed him and that's it." Hiccup looked between the two, but as the wailing got louder hiccup could only cave._

 _" Okay fine, when will you be bringing him back" he watched as the older woman took the boy off of him, he remembered her teaching him as a kid and now he was handing her his own child. His own child._

 _" As soon as you have had a good few hours sleep, I'll see you later Chief" she walked out the room, taking his son with him, and finally he could finally hear himself think._

 _xx_

 _Phlegma brought stoick back to Hiccup around 11:30 that morning, he had got a few hours sleep, but once awake he had found that he felt much more energised and was ready for the next part of the plan to get his people back. But before he could bring himself in front of all those people that depended on him, right now he just wanted to see his boy._

 _As soon as she walked through the front door, hiccup shot ion from the eating area, where Dagur and heather had joined in for late breakfast. He ran over and immediately took the little boy from her arms hugging the boy close. He hadn't released how much he missed him._

 _" He's a little angel when he is all fed. I've fed him twice this morning, he was really hungry, I'll be here and there throughout the day when you need me Chief, but he shouldn't need feeding for a few hours anyway." She informed him._

 _" Thank you Phlegma, really I hadn't released how much he would actually need a mother more than me." He gave a sad smile but still hugged the boy close._

 _" No need for thanks chief, I've had three boys myself and if for some reason I couldn't have been there for mine I would have wanted someone else to be. And he does need his farther, more than you know. But just a little advice Chief?" She asked before continuing._

 _" Please anything"_

 _" then next time you try to hush a baby to sleep, next time maybe take off you flight suit and even your tunic, babies like human contact, skin on skin. That way you can be mom and dad in one, if you get me" she said it quite awkwardly, not wanting to offend her chief about fartherinf a child. But hiccup was learning and took the advice on._

 _" Thank you, I will" and with one final smile she left, but Hiccup didn't return to his friends, he took the boy upstairs to have a little time with the boy himself._

 _" Hey buddy, I'm your daddy, you have been so brave these last few hours. And I know I'm not the best mom and dad, but I'm trying, I really am. You know it's hard being a parent, there is no book on being a parent, however their should be Hey. But listen to me buddy, I'm not going to rest until I bring your mother back to you, it might take years but I'm going to tell you I will bring her back. And I'm not going to let you forget her, I'll tell you a story every night about her, but no matter how long it takes, I will not abandon you, cause you are my boy, you are my everything."_


	6. Family is Home and Home is Family

" hiccup?" His attention was brought back to reality by gobbers voice. He turned to see the older man step near him, gobbers eyes looked over to astrid where hiccup was staring before, a sad smile appeared as he looked as the young woman packed up the remaining things.

" You okay lad?"

" yeah, I just err-" his gaze flickered over towards his wife. And then to the ground between the two.

" You missed her" the statement hit hiccup hard, _you have no idea._ But he didn't have to say that, gobber was like a farther figure, he knew just by the look on his eyes how much hiccup had missed his Astrid.

" Look hiccup, why don't you take the day off, just spend some more time with her, fill her in on things we have been through these last two years, the things you have gotten up too with raising your son" his eyes wondered up towards gobber, he couldn't help to hide the goofy smile on his face.

" Really?" He excitement was too high to be contained, from gobbers view he looked like the 15 year old apprentice he took on all those years ago.

" Go on boy, me and Eret will take on your duties today, go be a husband" he shushed him along, but he didnt need too, the moment gobber said go, hiccup was jogging his way towards the discarded tent.

Xx

Astrid wandered around,stepping over the beams that were once supporting the tent itself, berserker men helped pack up the big wooden beams and the sheets of the tent onto skull crusher and grump, while toothless trotted behind her the bags attached to his side were still full of maps and plans that astrid had already sifted though before.

There was only one more chest left, as she unbuckled the locks and pulled up the heavy lid, the chest was full to the rim of papers, maps, and sketches. She lifted up the drawings she knew were sketched by her husband, they were mostly pictures of toothless, or Stoick, she took her time at looking at the detail of her sons face. As she flicked through the rest in her hand she came across some of her, she had never some across these before, rubbing her thumb over the tear stains she knew he had sketched these from memory, two years of hell and she didn't think about how hiccup was feeling throughout these last two years, she never asked.

She rolled up the drawings, not wanting to dread on something that was in the past, and placed them in one of toothless' bags. Returning to the chest she came across, piles and piles of maps that were spots around the entire barbaric archipelago, there was crosses and lines drawn all over them, unrolling them out she traced her finger over the lines following them along the map, she realised that these were the places she had been taken too over the past two years, and hiccup had been right behind her, trying to catch up with them, tracing over the lines she remembered the first time the boat had made dock, it was about three weeks after her son had been born and she was stripped away from him.

 _She was awoken, rudely. As the hard boot kicked her stomach with one deep blow, astrid gasped for air, opening her glued shut eyes to a man, she was sick of seeing._

 _" Hello my lovely" grimbeard. His touch gritty fingers hovered over her cheek bone, and trailed their way though her now dirty hair. She hated them fingers, them hands._

 _Three weeks. Three weeks she had spent on this cold hard floor, working her arse off from crack a dawn in the morning till late at night, the minimum of food and any chance her captures got to give her a busted lip or another whip mark on her back._

 _She growled under his touch, smacking his hand away, which was no favour for her as the man grabbed the hair at the back of her neck, pulling the top half of her off the ground. She immediately clasped over his one hand with both of hers, and she looked grimbeard dead in the eyes. However with her busted lip from her previous encounter with grimbeard she was not looking as intimidating as she wanted to._

 _" Remember who's roof your under sweet heart" he through the her back on the dirty ground, her face grazing the floor as he got up and walked to the entrance of her cage._

 _" Or do you want another trip to the cold room again?" His smirk grew, that sick, creepy smirk she wished she could bash off his smug face._

 _As she sat up she slowly shook her head, eyes on the ground in front of her. " thought not"_

 _The cold room. A room no one wished to enter, it was worse enough, if you did your job wrong or too slow or just breathed in a way that pissed the guards off you would get a beating. But the cold room was a place you stay in for 24 hrs, not food and definitely no sleep._

 _Grimbeard ran this boat, and all the rest in dragon armarda. He was Dragos main allie, grimbeard supplied the boats and equipment, Drago supplied the dragons, which ment he also supplied the men as well,those who were scared enough not to defy him anyway._

 _This ship, however big it was astrid did not know, but this ship was a city on water, and the cold room, grimbeard loved so much, was in the deepest darkest part of it, right at the bottom where there was no heat, no life, nothing. Astrid had been there more than anyone, since being the wife of the chief she was questioned the most out of all the villagers that were taken three weeks ago. Drago wanted hiccup, for what he would not say, but he seemed on edge to find him. As much as he needed the people of berk for the slave trade he need hiccup more, why he kept moving and not stay still for her husband to find them she didn't know. But she felt that Drago was hiding something, so she was determined find it out._

 _So she was questioned, mainly every day, they might miss a day or so, but that was usually after she had just had a good beating and was too weak to even move. But astrid being astrid of course she had been defiant, and on the occasions of times she would piss them off so much she was punished with the cold room._

 _A room where you are chained by the wrists and hang in a dark room with the feet only scraping the floor, for 24 hrs. They had no food, no rest and no sleep. Since the cold room was only for one sex group. Women. They would hang there for hours, weak and exhausted and whenever the men of the ship decided they needed 'entertaining' they would come in and have their way with any poor unlucky soul that hung there._

 _Astrid was usually that poor unlucky soul._

 _They would make a standing joke of it, the men of the ship, that they could have their way with another mans wife, with a Chiefs wife, and there was nothing he could do about it._

 _But she was grimbeards favourite. He would call her his blonde deity. But that's what made astrids skin crawl the most, she was not his,she would never be his. She was hiccups, and his alone._

 _But down here, in this cage. That didn't matter not to them. She was meat for the taking in their eyes and it was sickening._

 _She pulled her legs up into her chest, a position she felt more secure in, with most of her vulnerable parts covered. She was brought back to reality by the banging of cages, and pirates had made their way into the prison, some she knew, some she didn't._

 _" Wakey wakey cockroaches!" Grimbeard yelled. " we have a little treat for you" she eyes landed on astrid " we have made a short pit stop, and decided to stay here for a few days!"_

 _" come on, come see where you will be staying the next few nights" the cage doors opened, and there stood out side each cage was a man with chains, ready to restrain them. She turned to her friends,to her mother in law and together the people of berk was shown off the boat._

 _In rows of two the prisoners were taken to the top of the ship, and for the first time in weeks they were greeted with cool fresh air. For the first time she had been on this boat she was finally seeing it for what it was. As they came out to the main deck of the boat she could see it for all its glory._

 _High pillars that went up stories high, catapult systems, bigger than the ones she had seen in Berk, the main deck was like a training area, in the middle arenas where pirates trained and around the outskirts was large cages full of different types of dragons, some species she had seen, zippleback, monstrous nightmare, nadders, whispering deaths. Others were more quite unquie and beautiful, species she knows Hiccup and fishlegs would die to see._

 _As they came to the entrance of the ship, a big wooden ramp attached to the side the fell downwards and landed on the docks of their first place of port, her mind was brought back from admiring the ship to the main man him self, stood at the front staring down at all the things he owned._

 _" Bring me Chief Haddock's wife" drago's cold croaky voice spoke out the the crowd, as his fat stumpy finger pointed towards her, she saw the guards come from all angles, grabbing her roughly by the arms and pulling her away from the rest of the prisoners._

 _" Astrid?!" Vals voice shouted from behind, but before she could even turn around she was dragged harshly towards the man himself._

 _There she was thrown in front of Drago, grimbeard and the pirate captain of this ship._

 _" hello beautiful" grimbeard's hand came around from behind pulling a piece of hair and tucking behind her ear, she immediately pulled back, earning her a heavy smack to the face._

 _" Grimbeard, I brought hiccups wife here to talk, we don't lay our hands on our guests" drago said calmly as he made slow paced towards the two._

 _" She disrespects my needs" His voice was like poison._

 _" She can satisfy them another time, now I would like to have a word here with mrs Haddock" he pulled an arm around her frail body and dragged her with him away from that creep of a friend of his._

 _" Now mrs Haddock do you know where we are?" His voice still sent chills down her spine as he guided her to the edge of the boat to look down on where her friends, her tribe, her family was being guided off the boat and walking along the beach._

 _She shook her head as an answer, " we are at an isle I like to call bone island" at first the name meant nothing but as she watch further as her friends suffered walking over the sand on then beach, she released it was not sand they were walking on, but bones, dead bones of people, children, dragons, you name it._

 _" it's an isle no viking has ever come to port at, Because it's known to be haunted by a dragon, ones fire that can burn through stone and metal a like. They states it lives in the shadows, which from what you can remember, it does" her mind went back to three weeks ago, when snot lout and eret explained to her husband that the dragon they dealt with lived and breathed in the shadows and shot out lava like fire._

 _" I'm wondering what little hiccup might be thinking now?" He taunted with her, played games in her mind. So she stood tall and answered in the best way she could._

 _" It's said an ordinary man can do the impossible to find the woman he loves, I think we both know, my husband is no ordinary man" she looked at his with pride and confidence behind her withering dead eyes._

 _" Oh I'm counting on it"_

 _xx_

" you know it drove me insane not finding you" He husbands voice spoke from behind her, she drew her gaze from the map to look up towards him, he had made his way through the cascaded beams and tent sheets to where she was next to one of his chests.

" I'd spend hours in my office or any quiet room I could find and try to figure out their next move, try to be their before him, but he was always 10 steps ahead of me, I was driving myself crazy not finding you, the only real thing that kept me sane was stoick, cause with him I had a purpose, he needed me to survive, and he was the last thing I had left of you, apart from your things, he was truly the only thing I could get close to you. He stopped me from going mad." As he spoke, Astrid proceeded to place the remaining maps in toothless' sacks, only to walk up to him after he had finished speaking, taking his face in her hands.

" Hey, you found me, I'm here, you did that. It wasn't all for nothing." His pushes her fingers through the hair and the back of his neck and head, pulling him down slowly and pressing his lips to hers, feeling the love and desperation he was feeling in one move, she could feel his fingers crawl over her body and he drew her close, finally feeling the warmth of his wife he had missed so much. Him tugging on her body made her pull his head down more, colliding their lips together more, making it more impossible to pull the couple apart as the mouths wandered the others.

But as they stood in the middle of their camp where the majority of the Vikings were still packing up, they were soon noticed and was brought attention too immediately.

" Wooo, you go Chief" snotlout voice echoed in the back ground and other put their imput in with a few " wooo" And " awww" and forgetting the " yeeaah!" With came from the one and only tuffnut.

The two pulled apart, red faced and too embarrassed to look at each other right now so their eyes drifted to the floor.

" I - I Err should get back to cleaning this up, pretty sure you have some Chief stuff you should be getting on with" she teased poking the side of his stomach.

" Err - ha" he came a little side laugh " Well that's actually why- err - why I'm here, gobber, he Err he gave me the day off, said he and eret would cover for me, let me be a husband for one more day, since when we get back home, it's all hands on deck. So yeah your stuck with me" sh shrugged, that goofy smile plastered on his face.

He watched as that glimmer of hope in her eyes spread throughout her face as she was beaming when she ran up to him swinging her arms around his neck and wrapping her legs around his thin waist. He stumbled a bit but regained his balance as he wrapped his arms around her, giving her a little squeeze.

" Didn't think you would be this happy to spend a whole day with me" he laughed as she buried her face deep into his neck.

Her voice so quiet yet serious answered " I need you now more than ever"

He gave her a squeeze, letting her weight rest into his, he could stay here for ever, wrapped up in his wife's embrace, oh how he missed this.

xx

They set off about an hour before mid day with sacks and bags on their backs and dragons dragging wagons full of cargo behind them, they had a few hours walk ahead off them before they meet spitlout and a group of berkians at the half way point. From there what astrid knew they would load half of the cargo onto the dragons waiting for them, so they could fly the rest of the way, and hopefully be home before midnight, be home before her baby boy has fallen asleep.

Hiccup watched as he and Astrid walked side to side over the grassy plain fields, he watched as her eyes drifted off into the space around them, he could tell by just looking at her what she was thinking about, it was like the words were written on her forehead.

" I told gothi to keep him awake as long as possible, I knew no matter what happened I was coming home today, I promised him that even though I was going to miss his birthday I was coming home with his mother and a party." He gave her his goofy smile, she knew how much the Haddocks loved to throw a good party.

" A two year old having a party, oh how you spoil him" she nudged the side of him.

" well he was upset about me missing his birthday, but his face lit up when I said I was coming back a few days later with a village wide party and his mother. Plus I had ask gobber to make him a wooden play axe, I gave it gothi to give him on the morning of his birthday" while the two continued their conversation hiccups hand drifted down to hers, locking their fingers together.

" Well at least while I was interrogating Dagur of his presence on that damn ship, our boy was getting an axe of his birthday"

" well he wanted to be just like him mom with an axe, however he did ask for a smaller axe like his grandpa stoick" she looked over to him, he never really talk much of his farther, but when he did, it was with a mixture of sad and happy eyes.

" Stoick knows of his grandpa?" She asked, intrigued of learning more behind the mystery of little stoick Haddock.

" Well Yeah, from a young age I told him about him mom and grandma how were not here now but was coming back soon. But as he got past one, he got to asking questions, especially about the large statue in the middle of the village" he laughed.

" He loves hearing about my dad, I haven't told him yet about how he died, but stoick knows that he is in heaven now." She gave his hand a squeeze, talking about his dad was always hard for hiccup since he past, but hiccup always said that every time he did, it got a little easier.

As he felt her hand tighten around his, he leaned over to peck her cheek, enjoying every second he had his wife in his grasp again.

" I know how much you miss him" a sad smile appeared on his face, 'he did terribly'.

" yeah, my dad would have loved to meet stoick, he would have been the proudest grandpa in the entire village, I just know it. He is so smart astrid, so smart. I've never had a conversation like it, a toddler who is so innocent and yet so smart. He really is something."

She watched as he expressed how much love he had for their boy, using his hands of course, 25 years and hiccup Haddock still used hand gestures. Though she couldn't help the smile appear on her face as he continued, it was only when he saw her admiring him as they were walking that he stopped to question it.

" What?" She questioned with half a laugh.

She only smiled at first, lugging the bag on her back further up her shoulder, " nothing, I just love it when you talk about him, you sound like how your farther used to talk about you -" he narrowed his eyes towards her.

" Proud"

a genuine smile appeared on her face, as the two continued to walk, with toothless trotting beside them.

" I am proud, how could I not be, you'll see astrid, he's everything"

xx

They continued to walk north, and the further north they got the more like home astrid felt, she looked over her shoulder towards ruff, snot, valka, mulch, the bakers daughter, the fishermans son, and all the rest she had lived with over these past two years, which was 24 months, 104 weeks give or take and 730 days. Seems like another life time now, but looking back on those she saw as family, she could see the reflection of herself in their faces, she saw relief.

As they were coming up to the half way point, where she could just about see they would be greeted with friends, family, dragons and hopefully some quality food, she pushed herself up to hiccup, just enough for him to get the hint to wrap his arm around her small shoulders.

" What's up?" It's not like he hasn't seen astrid all loved up before, but this behaviour was usually one in a million, especially in public.

" I'm just happy" she hummed into his collar, as he placed a deep kiss on her forehead.

They arrived just after mid day, they were a few hours behind schedule, which both worried and concerned Astrid, _would it be another day before I can finally meet my son._ But she was happy on the other side, as the large group of berkians and berserkers was greeted by familiar faces, many astrid knew, but none were emotionally attached to her in that way. They just knew her as the Chiefs wife and mother to their little heir, so of course she got plenty of hugs and 'hey 's. But one face imperticular caught her eye, as the tall woman came up to her and wrapped her arms around her.

" My dear astrid, how happy I am to see you safe and sound" Mala. A friendly face astrid was actually happy to see. What she wasn't planning on seeing was Hroar, dangling off Mala's back, gosh he was so big now, the last time she saw dagur and Mala's son was just over two years ago, he was four then, and now?

" Oh my gosh, Hroar?" Mala brought him to the front of them placing him down between the two.

" I know he's massive" astrid admired the boy, two years seems so long, how has time affected her boy it made her wonder.

" How old is he?"

" six, he will be doing the berserker trails no doubt soon enough, dagur is so proud to say his son will be first place in everything" the two ladies laughed, dagur always did remind her of a certain Jorgenson.

" Oh Mala-boo" the two turned to see dagur trotting towards them, with hiccup waltzing behind him.

" Oh how I have missed my sugar plum and my little warrior" dagur only shows this side of him when surrounded by his closet family and friends, to anyone else he was a mad man not to be messed with.

" Daddy" seeing the three reunite, both hiccup and astrid felt out of place, taking one another by the hand the slowly kept away, trying not to disturb the family.

" I can't believe how big Hroar is" astrid stated once out of ear shot.

" Yeah, but he is still as sweet as, he was a proper good babysitter for me, when I had meetings of course." As they walked through the large group of people, reuniting like dagur, Mala and Hroar, spitlout and snotlout, a familiar squark came from behind. Turning to only see a very excited stormfly to finally get to meet her rider and friend, she bounded over to them, not caring who stood in her way.

" Stormfly!" The blond race towards her long lost flying friend, jumping up and wrapping her arms around the front of stormflys nose, the bird like dragon snuffled her owner, slowly nudging her blond rider with excitement and love.

" Oh stormfly, I missed you so much girl, I missed you so much" she looked back to hiccup, a smirk on his face suggested he had something to do with this.

" Thank you"

That smug smile shows no signs of going anywhere, " well I couldn't keep you two apart for much longer, a dragon needs her rider." Hiccup walked up to the two, scratching the side of stormflys head while Astrid rubbed her friends nose affectionately.

" Well I know I certainly need you" nuzzling deep into her nose.

" Well I was thinking," Hiccup took a step behind her, wrapping his long arms around her body pulling her back into his chest while he rested his head on her shoulder, " you might want to ride her home" that smirk was only growing wider.

" I'd love too" teasing him by placing a chase kiss on the side of his cheek, " let's hope I've not forgotten how to fly" her voice sent shivers down his spine as she whispered into his ear.

" That's impossible," he flipped her around so she was facing him " dragon riding is in your blood, Astrid Haddock" the space between them seemed to disappear with in seconds, both didn't know when it happened, but right there as their mouths collided they didn't care.

" Ehhh" the two stopped and looked, gobber stood there arms crossed, and Hiccup could see in his godfathers eyes, the look of his farther.

" When I said ' ave the day off, be a husband fer the day' that didn't mean ' suck the face off yer wife' get a room" the older man walked off with his head shaking as if he was disapproving the husband and wife sharing a kiss.

And in the back ground hiccup could only hear the giggles of Astrid as she buried her face into his chest.

xx

The fly took longer than expected, once loading the cargo onto the extra dragons, it was already 3:00 o'clock and the wind was against them, pushing them back every single step of the way.

' Great, it's like the gods hate me, could this possibly get any worse'

And as the mind of the young blond filled with doubt and pessimism, a speck of rain fell upon her shoulder, giving her a reason to let out all her frustration.

" Great, just great, thank you!" She yelled up into the sky full of dark gloomy clouds as stormfly was battling the winds, " just what I needed" that came out as more of a whisper, as she had finally come to the term, she was going to have to wait to see her son tomorrow.

A coo from the side caught her attention from her self pity, as toothless hovered next to his blue scaled friend and the rider on top lifted up his helmet.

" Who are you yelling at?"

" Oh, just the gods, they seem to be throwing hell and all its demons at me today. It probably has to do something with my mother, this has her name written all over it, even from the grave she is still trying to teach me a lesson."

Astrids mother past just before the whole Drago situation, and her farther had died when she was five, leaving the haddocks as Astrid's only real family. But even though the passing of her mother was hard on Astrid she can't complain on how easier her life is now, or was before losing two years of it. Her mother, throughout her teenage years, would always put unwanted stress on her, questioned her look, her knowledge, her abilities, her choices, even down to the point of her boyfriend, her mothers opinion was not far behind.

She claimed to love her mother, she really did, she had learnt so much, like how to fight, how to sew, how to clean, how to _please_ her husband to be. She had even tried to teach her too cook, though astrid was still to this day learning that ability. Her mother had taught her a lot about children, what to do to make the pregnancy smooth and how to care for the baby, and even though the birth was tough and she had not see her baby since that fateful night, her pregnancy was smooth, and went to full term.

But even though her mothers wise words were behind astrid even step of the way through those nine months of carrying her child, astrid couldn't help but think how happy she was her mother wasn't there while she was pregnant, because what would have supposed to be the most amazing few months of your life, would have turned into the Devils game, and her mother being the main host.

" your mother has nothing to do with the weather astrid" her husband laughed, but he himself knew how awkward Ms Hofferson was.

" Oh sure, your telling me my mother wouldn't have done something like this if she had the power too?"

He went to argue his point, but stopped, paused, had the hiccup thinking face on and in the moment submitted, " I can't answer that, out of the respect that she was an older woman and she was your mother, no matter if she was the devils spawn." He flicked his helmet back on a regained into flight mode, but he couldn't help but smile when he hear the blondes giggles from the side of him.

" If she is Devils spawn then what does that make me?" She questioned with a hint of a tease in her voice.

" Well need I say no more" he muffled back as the two flew side by side.

" You cheeky bastard, I can still kick your arse" there was that teasing voice, no hiding it from him now.

" See threatening the chief, I could have you hanged"

" I'd like to see you try."

xx

The sun had set hours ago, but Astrid still held on to hope that Stoick might still be up, as the burning lights of her home village came into view, she felt flutters in her stomach at the thought of being home again, the village she had not seen for two years, her home, her family.

But yet as their island came clearer she couldn't help but feel the strings in her heart tighten at the thought, _it's been two years she has stepped foot on that island, what if all the memories come back hitting her head on, what if she can't go into the house she was dragged away from, what if she can't be a mother, she had not fucking clue what to do when she finally meets Stoick, she thought it might come naturally but that still didn't convince her._

Her mind liked to play tricks on her, it was one of the torture methods the Pirates liked to use, as well as physical torture, the mental torture was much worse, it was the thing that broke astrid the most.

As stormflys clawed feet hit the ground, she was soon submerged with familiar surroundings, huts, path ways, carts, gobbers forge, the training arena and finally familiar faces. The crowd of Vikings hurdling towards them all like a wave, all at once and fast. She felt overwhelmed, over faced, she was so close to pulling on stormflys neck and flying for another hour around the island, she didn't want the questions, didn't want the hassle.

But she felt an anchor, an anchor to this island, an anchor to this home. It was in the shape of a hand, a hand on her leg, that was attached to hiccup haddock himself, as he could see the overwhelming look in her eyes.

" I got you"

he held his arms up ready to help her down, if it wasn't for her stubborn attitude it would have been quite romantic. " I'm quiet capable on getting down myself" she claimed throwing her other leg around the side getting ready jump down.

" I know, but I still got you" she slid down into his firm grasp, letting him, for that moment, wrap his arms protectively around her. She had expected questions, they had all been gone for so long, she'd find it strange if they didn't. But all at once, one question after the other, she felt as if she was choking on her own tongue.

" Please everyone give them all room" hiccups voice boomed to the villagers. With hiccups arm still wrapped around her, walking through the crowd, she looked back on those she trusted most. Val was in conversation with ruff and tuffs mother, as she held her now found daughter on her arms.

Snot was surprisingly with his farther, the two hadn't split since the half way point, mulch of course was attached to bucket, or should we say bucket was attached to mulch, not wanting to let his best friend out of sight again. All the old faces, happy cause they were with family, cause they were free. But she didn't feel free, she would only feel free once she held her son in her arms, that's all that mattered, but before that could happen, she was surrounded by new but yet familiar faces of the alliance.

There, stood right in front of her, the 5 Viking tribes;

Dagur, Heather and Mala- with the berserker/ wing maidens tribe behind them, not forgetting Hroar running around, wired on what ever dagur had fed him.

Camicazi and her mother Big Boobied Bertha - a crazy tribe no doubt, but hiccup had known cami since he was a young heir, and the two would meet at chief council meeting when kids. Not to mention cami was one of Astrids bridesmaids.

Norbert the nut job - clue its in the name.

Madguts the muderus - deadly, but his interest in dragons, made him a loyal allie, though berk does not condone the tribes actions, madguts was a loyal friend.

And finally, Alvin the treacherous - he may be an outcast, but his loyalties lie with berk and berk alone.

There the five Chiefs stepped forward and bowed at them, " we are glad to see you alive and well Mrs haddock" norbert said as he raised from his bow. He was known to be a total nutter, but from their first encounter, astrid had always been norbert's favourite out of berk. Of course he liked hiccup but her loved astrid, he once admitted she reminded him of his late only daughter, who died in child birth, so once astrid had informed him of her pregnancy, he was all for helping her out.

" Astrid's always been a tough bird, made of steel that one, she even scares me sometimes." Alvin joked, of course astrid laughed too, Alvin had been like a crazy uncle over the years, you could say. Though she wouldn't be feeling as tough if it wasn't for her husbands arm holding her up.

" I wanted to thank you," hiccup started, squeezing astrid tightly " I don't know what i would have don't with out you, any of you. You are all welcome for the night, and there will be a feast tomorrow in celebration on the return of those we thought we lost. But seriously there are families who are whole today because of you, my family is whole because of you. Thank you" the emotion in his voice poured out, but he meant it. Every last word.

The tribe leaders departed, leaving the husband and wife alone together, while the rest of their tribe greeted the long lost friends and family. But even though this was one of the happiest moments in her life, Astrid still felt like something was missing.

But hiccup was already on it, still holding on to her he leaned over towards where Eret stood and whispered ever so quietly, " can you get stoick from my house" with that smug smirk on his face the ex pirate walked off with a skip in his step.

Standing there waiting, was torture, but yet her nerves were over thrown by excitement, has hiccups hand crept into hers giving it a quick squeeze.

She knew this was it, no more delays, no more excuses, she would finally see her baby boy.

Waiting the nerves got the best of her, doing what astrid does, pacing and wondering, contemplating of if she is a good enough mother. While hiccup stayed leaning against toothless, feeding him bits of fish after the long flight they had just had, the murmurs of the rest of the tribe could still be heard behind them.

" What if he doesn't like me"

" what if he doesn't want to know me"

" what if I can't be the mother he needs"

" he doesn't know me Hiccup, what if, what if I scare him"

She kept pacing, faster and faster, nibbling on her fingernail while hiccup shook his head in laughter.

She stopped, that pissed look on her face, he got that a lot when she was pregnant, " is this a joke to you? I'm glad you find it funny" she began to pace again, her mind filled with seething thoughts ' unbelievable, he thinks this a joke'.

Hiccup stopped his laughter, best not poke the bee hive any further. Standing up from leaning on his best friend, he sauntered over to her placing two hands on her shoulders, stopping her in place, but she still bibles on her nails.

" Milady, stoick already adores you, and has wished for your return ever since I showed him the drawing of you. He loves you, and he wants his mommy." She dropped her hand and head at the same time, allowing him to sneak a quick kiss on her head.

" Thank you" she went to lean up for a quick kiss, but before her lips touched his, a voice came from the crowd.

" Excuse me, excuse me, oi are we invisible! VIP coming through." Erets large figure fought through the crowds, he finally broke through to where the young chief, his best friend and his wife stood waiting. Important cargo in his arms.

Hiccup took the first step towards Eret, walking up to him and taking back what he had missed so much.

" D-daddy!" The boys squealed , tiny arms wide as his farther wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close.

" Oh buddy, I've missed you so much" squeezing the boy tight.

Astrid stood watch, unable to move, just standing there admiring her two boys, together. She didn't realise it from the pictures, but he looked like hiccup so much.

" Daddy back, daddy back wiv me" His voice so vivid, so tiny as well.

" I promised didn't I, I said I would be back, with a party and more friends" the boy played with his farthers hair.

" And guess what else I brought back, what I promised." He turned around and held the boy so he could see as pointed towards where Astrid stood.

She stood, arms wrapped up within themselves, her eyes looked into his, they were so young, so innocent, so perfect.

" Who's that?" Hiccup whispered into the boys ear as his tiny eyes never left her.

" Dat- dat mommy. Mom-mommy, dat mommy" her breaths got louder as he said her name, her eyes began to fill up as he said her name, her mind was focused on this moment she hadn't released the six tribes around them, had stopped the mumbling and was watching this reunion.

" That's right, that's mommy, didn't I tell you I'd bring mommy home"

" mommy mommy mommy" he mumbled her name, dribbled it some might say as hiccup bent down and placed the boy on the ground, but he still kept hold.

" Go to mommy for me, go on, run mommy" he slowly let go of the boy and he took one step with a yawn, then the next step and finally before she knew it she was bent down with her arms wide as her baby, her son came stumbling towards her, his tiny legs unable to keep him up but he still kept going, till finally he was in her arms one again.

" Oh my baby" she grasped on tight, felling his tiny frame squeeze tightly too.

" Mommy" she pulled back to look at him in the face, try and memorise every feature.

" Oh stoick, my boy, mommy has missed you so so much. So much" she pulled him back into her embrace feeling the hot tears of happiness run down her face, and they only fell more as she felt another set of arms around her, much longer and stronger, and yet so much love as well.

Hiccup crouched there holding his family in his arms, his now whole family. He had done it, from years of preparation, he had finally brought his wife back to him, back to stoick, like he had promised he would have, he finally was whole again himself.

xx

" and that's when daddy got toothless to grab mommy from the ground, and she screamed so loud when she released her feet was no longer running on grass but air" hiccup giggled stroking the boys head as he lay in his little cot.

" I didn't scream, it was more of a yell, I was telling daddy to stop being silly and let me down" Astrid was on the other side of the cot, her hand hand not left his since they had entered the house, her house, their house. Not much had changed, furniture still the same, just more child toys if anything, stoicks room was adorable of course.

" she threatened me, your mommy has a temper on her and likes to tell daddy what to do" he pulled his tongue out like he was teasing her, oh he was definitely teasing her.

" Well maybe daddy need telling what to do once and a while, otherwise where would we be today?" Her raised eyebrow and cocky look in her eye only proved she was right, Astrid was always the push behind the chiefs decisions, it's why he needed her so much. So he did not answer.

" More - more" Stoick demanded from his cot. Not long after a large yawn.

" Oh I think we have had enough story telling for today, it's late, super late. And you have heard the story before young man" prodding the boys belly till he got a little giggle, he took Astrids free hand to guide her out of the room, but stoick still hand hold.

" Mommy here in mornin?" His big eyes full of hope, she could only bend down and kiss his little hand.

" I'm not going anywhere, ever again" she kissed it one more time and finally let go, her heart already craving to hold his hand once more.

xx

Walking back into her room, their room, was like going back in time. Nothing had changed. Not really, the bed was the same, their dresser draws were the same, the only thing that was different, the only thing was new sheets. She walked up slowly, rubbing her hand over the fresh new sheets, with the fur covering at the bottom of the bed, it was a wedding gift off valka, she likes to call it the " baby making" blanket. Oh the embarrassment.

Hiccup stood in the door way, he felt best to let astrid walk in alone, for one he didn't want to overload her with everything all at once. But he also wanted her to take her time, let her be the one to make the first step.

He watched her shuffle long around the room, picking up odd bits of stuff laying around, until she finally came across something that she thought was lost.

Taking wide slow steps she came up to the side of the bed where her bed stand was, there hung on a hook, was a chain. And on that chain right at the bottom was two sliver rings, one a white sliver band, her wedding band, and the other white silver like the other but this one had a diamond on the end, beautiful diamond with a white shimmer. Her engagement ring, what a story behind that that, but that was a story for another day.

" I thought I lost these" taking the chain off the hook.

" I found them when we came back to Berk" with the rings in her hands she whipped her head back to see hiccup walking towards her.

" our room was a mess, and they were there perfectly on the ground, I don't know whether you had lost them, or the pirates left them there to torment me."

She looked down at the rings, held them in her hands and felt him cup his under hers rubbing her skin with his thumbs.

" But I kept them, held them close, showed them to stoick, so that one day," he took the rings, unhooked the chain and threw it to the draws. " I could do this" grabbing her left hand with his soft touch, he took the rings and slid them onto her fourth finger.

Looking down at her hand, Astrid had missed what was missing over the years " you are wife Astrid, till the day I die you will always be my wife, I love you" she couldn't help the smile on her face, though hiccup Haddock was always one for making her smile. She jumped, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his middle, planting her lips on his, causing him to stumble on his legs.

Falling back into bed Hiccup lay on his back letting Astrid be on top. He might have to get used to this position for a while if he wants to get back to the way he and his wife were. His mouth moved with hers, like they had never been absent before, gliding along each other, feeling their tongues graze one another.

" Thank you" she pulled back, still facing him, still seconds apart, her hand still weaves in his hair.

" It wasn't your fault astrid, we will take this a slow a humanly possible if necessary, I don't need anything all I need was you back. It's not your fault, never was, we can put everything behind us and move, slowly, but still move on.

she didn't say anything, she didn't need too, she knew his words were true. In time they might go back to normal, but now, the young wife will kiss her husband till they fall asleep.

Because she loved him too.


	7. Adjusting to reality

The side of the bed was cold and empty. As he rolled over he felt as if it was all a dream, his wife, his son, his home. Groggy eyes that were glued shut slowly opened, and through his blurred vision he noticed the bare space next to him. The space that was once filled with the warm presence of his long lost wife was once again empty.

He shot from where he lay, looking around his room. _Was it a dream? It can't of been, it felt so real._ His thoughts were put at ease at the sigh of her clothes, the ones she wore yesterday before she fell asleep in one of his old tunics. He hadn't realised it yet but the breath he held he finally let go.

But it got him thinking, if astrid wasn't laying in his arms, then where was she.

Turning to the side he found his boot and leg, he left just his pants on with no tunic, he didn't think he would be too long at what looked to be 4 in the morning. However he did grab a fur blanket, just in case.

Taking a step out of his warm cosy bedroom, and a wave of cold air hit his hot burning flesh. Out on the corridor he could see his sons bedroom door, shut firmly, so the cold wind must have been coming from the wide window ledge at the front of the house.

He did love his old house, the memories of him and his farther were strong, but they were every where he turned. That's why a week to his wedding he gave his mom the keys and as a wedding gift he gave astrid a house, this house. It was a five minute walk from the rest of the village, the house was bigger, their land was wider. And with a five minute walk from them and anyone that needs 'the chief' it gave them, privacy.

Which was handy, for them when they were less clothed and for stoick, it gave them as a family more time together. Well him and hiccup anyway, when ever they were on Berk over the last 2 years, hiccup needed farther and son time with stoick, stoick was the only link he had to astrid, he needed time with stoick.

He took slow steady steps towards the window ledge, the floor boards creaking as his weight pressed down. Making his way to the window he could see her silhouette slouching on the large window sill. She barely moved, only the small movements of her chest breathing. She didn't even turn around at him approaching, maybe it was because she didn't hear him, or maybe she just wanted silence and peace. Either or, she didn't move a muscle, it was only when he unraveled the fur blanket and placed it around her shoulders, she physically jumped out of her silent phase.

" Oh," her body relaxed, as if she was frightened to death, but then relieved to find out it was only him.

" What you doing up at this time? " he asked, standing his post right next to her.

" I couldn't sleep, need some air, and space to think." She wrapped the fur around her shoulders more as another gust of wind came through the open window.

" How long have you been awake?"

" About an hour, I don't know maybe more, sleep is new to me I haven't really slept much so now it's getting a bit to get use to." She didn't flinch when his hand played with her hair, that was progress a little, at least he knew she wanted him there, especially when she leaned further into his touch.

" You should have waked me" his hand dug in deeper, and as a relaxing sigh left her lips, she leaned toward him, resting one side on his bare chest, feeling his heat radiate through her.

" You looked peaceful, happy. And I - I was just lost in my thoughts, I woke up a felt like I was dreaming, had to check on stoick, just to see He was there. I can't go back to sleep now, it's - it's like now the adrenaline has calmed down and I'm finally realising that this is real, I'm here and I can finally drop my guard, and my mind is just flooding with memories, awful, vile, cruel memories, that. Just. Won't. Go. Away." Digging her face into his chest, she hoped that his presence will somehow, drown out those pictures that were plastered in her mind.

" Hey, Hey, hey, shush. It's okay-" he could hear in her voice, the trembling of her throat, threatening to just break down, he had only ever heard that voice before, when her mom died.

" look at me astrid, look at me" he moved back and bent down so he could look up to her, her eyes hard to look into as they were sheilded by a layer of water.

" Just look at me, let me in. I know everything Astrid and you know that none of it is your fault, it's okay to feel like this astrid, it's okay." She aloud herself to fall into him, let her face fall into the crook of his neck and his arms wrap protectively around her rubbing her back, with his soft fingers stroking up and down.

" it hurts hiccup" her weight dropped into his, but he supported her, she was lighter than he remembered, guess that made it easier now.

" I can't get his face out my head, I see it everywhere, I don't feel safe. Just get rid of it, get rid of it" How could he help her, how could he make it go away, if he didn't know who 'he' was or what he had done to his wife.

" It's okay, I got you. You should try and get some sleep" his suggestion was quickly denied, as he whole body began to shake.

" No, no, can't sleep, he's there when I close my eyes, always there"

" shush, hey - I'll be here, so if you see him in your sleep, I'll be here when you wake up. Okay?" He hushed her with slow moving of his hand.

" I'm not tired" though her eyelids disagreed.

" Okay, I'll stay awake with you" he slowed his hand even more, sending shivers put her spine.

In her groggy state, with his hand bringing her closer to sleep, she tried to shake her firm head.

" No - no you have Chiefing to do, I can't ask that," her body relaxed even more as the first tears fell and her mind followed his finger.

" I don't care, I'm staying awake with you, moments like this are precious to me. You have no idea how much I craved to hold you in my arms again, I'm not missing out on that for sleep" his hands moved down and glided over her rear and upper thighs, it was only slightly, but her body tensed up.

With a little push, he placed her legs around his waist, and she let him of course, once her body had relaxed again. With the strength he had, he forced himself up into his two legs and proceeded to climb on the wide window ledge with her firmly wrapped up in his embrace and the two covered up with the fur blanket that still hung off Astrids shoulders.

It wasn't that cold anymore, sure the winter months were here and the icy winds blew through their house, but they had each other, their body heat was all they needed.

" This has to be my most favourite spot of the house" hiccup said as a few tears dropped down his wife's cheeks.

" Yeah mine too" she sobbed quietly, but her mind was quieting down from the world wind of memories that flooded her head before.

" Do you remember all the fun we had here" reminiscing on the time him and her, in the early stages of their marriage, spent hours on this tiny ledge, just them and their hot naked bodies.

However he did gain a small giggle from her, it was a small victory but a victory none the less. " yeah, I'm suprised no one caught us."

" Wouldn't surprise me if someone did, but never said anything, how many times had someone catch us before everyone just got used to it" as their conversation continued, their hands were wandering the others body while both eyes were set on the view they had from the front of their house.

" Err I don't know, about seven maybe eight, at least one of those. I do feel sorry for gobber though he was at the most four of them, we always ended up in the back room of his forge. I'm surprise he kept his mouth shut with us." Her tears had come to a stop as she giggle into her husbands neck and chest.

" Oh he didn't say anything in front of you, but dragged me aside and gave me a piece of his mind. I'm Chief and never before have I felt so belittled."

" We did do it in his work shop more than we should have," she stated, but that grin was still plastered on her face.

" Well it was my work shop too, so by rights, I had a right to bed my new wife in there." She playfully hit his chest, he knew he deserved that, but with the grin on her face, it was so worth it.

They lay there for hours, talking mainly about the first year of their marriage, that's when this war started, all them years ago on their honeymoon when the two came across a massacre which only lead them to where they were today.

But as the hours past and the darkness began to go lighter, there conversation suddenly drifted away, and it was silent. Hiccup kept his eyes on the horizon but his ears tuned in on his wife's slow and steady breathing. Slowly he looked down, to see her curled up on his chest, fast asleep.

" Not tired my ass" his smirk only grew as she looked so peaceful. So wrapping her up with his arms and slowly lifting her into bridal style, he slid off the ledge and onto the floor, making his way as quietly as possible to their bedroom, prays his prosthetic wouldn't click and his weight wouldn't creek on the floor boards.

Successfully getting her into the bed, he kept the fur hanging over her body, but he couldn't bring himself to go back to bed, the sun was rising and he knew it would be a matter of time before someone came knocking. He took it upon himself to get dressed in his normal attire and head down stairs, the least he could do was make breakfast for the two most important people in his life.

As the porridge pot cooked on the house stove, hiccup walked around his kitchen and found himself staring out the window to the village that began to awake. How so much had changed over the last few years. Hiccup couldnt believe that he had been chief for over five years, five years of running a village, protecting the archipelago, marrying the girl of his dreams and raising the most important person in his world.

If only his dad could see him now, dad would have loved stoick, adored him. He would have liked to think he would have been proud to how he has been running the village. His way. The only way he knew how to run things.

Like astrid said, he does this his way, the Hiccup way. Cause he now knew he wasn't his dad. He was his own person.

But suddenly he felt self doubt consume him, he was chief, a husband, a farther and he had let everyone down. He let his village down when drago attacked, murdering and capturing half of his people. He let his wife down when he left her to those creeps, left her in their grasps. And he let his son down, when it took him so long to return his mother too him.

He felt ashamed.

" You have your thinking face on, you let your thoughts consume you too much and you'll slowly go mad." He turned around to see his wife, still in his old tunic, hair roughly put in a side braid and her feet covered with her need his fur boots. It made him laugh when he see her where them, her legs always looked tiny in those boots.

" Believe me, take it from a girl who spent hours in a dark room left to her own thoughts" at that comment his once large goofy smile turned into a frown, his eyes floating to the floor in shame.

" Sorry, should I have not brought it up?" She questioned taking steps towards him, a sad smile appeared on his face.

" No!" His answer was sorta blurted out, like rushed, " no, it's good you want to talk about it, it's healthy" he came over bringing his hands to her upper arms, stroking the tenderly with his thumbs.

" What, like this morning" her tone sounded disappointed in herself.

" It's okay to feel like this astrid, it's completely normal" he drew her into his arms, holding her for a second. He would never be tired from this, holding her in his arms, that way he knew she was safe, within his grasp.

" How come your awake anyway?" He thought changing the conversation might lighten up the mood.

" I keep seeing faces when I'm asleep, keeps me up" walking out of his arms she took herself over to the stove, keeping a watchful eye on the cooking porridge. Where as hiccup stayed put feel a bit guilty for leaving her after she told him she was having trouble sleeping.

" I'm sorry, I should have stayed up stairs with you" but just like typical Astrid, she shrugged it off. " it's fine, I'm used to it, sorta. Is this for you, me and stoick?" She asked avoiding the conversation completely.

" Err Yeah, just thought I'd get a quick start on it before I have to go" she stopped stirring the pot and turned back to him.

" Oh," her face fell " Right you have to go back to work" she got up, walking right past him and started rummaging through the cupboards for three wooded bowls and spoons.

She knew exactly where everything was, nothing had changed, which was nice. The memory of her house was Not faulted.

Standing up after gathering up the bowls and spoons, she felt him wrapping his arms around her, pressing her back into his chest and placing chase kisses on her jaw and neck. She didn't flinch though, not once, cause for a change she felt safe in her own home.

" I know it's not ideal, but a lot of people have come home, and need help getting back into reality. But I'll make it up to you, both of you. Maybe a date, a meal out, I'll try and get away for a couple of hours." He kept placing kissing all over the side of her neck, making her skin feel as if it was catching fire everytime his lips touched her.

" You could make it up to me now" his lips never stopped, causing her to place the stuff in there arms down on the nearest ledge.

" And how could I do that milady." His mouth moved up her neck and stayed around her jaw line, making her whole body shudder.

" Kiss me, kiss me now" she turned in his arms letting them stay rested on her lower back, bringing her hands up around his neck and letting her fingers interlock with the hairs on his head.

" Kiss me " he didn't hesitate another second, capturing his wife's lips in his, pulling her body deeper into his embrace as his mouth wandered familiar territory. It wasn't long before he hoisted her up around his waist, while she was still caught up with trying to win dominance.

His hands caressed her face as he took in her beauty, how much he missed this, holding her within his arms again felt like a dream. He honestly didn't know how he survived with out this woman, she was his anchor to this earth, the one that kept him going.

And with that he took two large strides to the kitchen counter, gently placing her down on top, but her legs still didnt leave his waist, squeezing her legs together so he couldn't escape her grasp. While her hands stayed glued to his head, pulling down to only deepen the kiss more. He started to wander, down the sides of her neck, to her sharp, lean shoulders and passing her beasts to her thin waist.

Tugging on his old tunic she wore, gain a moan for her lips, he felt more confident and moved his hands further down. It was only when he started to pull the tunic up did she pull away from their heated embrace.

" wait," her hands immediately fell to his, holding onto his wrists, making sure he didnt move another muscle. It was only when he fully let got of her tunic that she released her grip.

" Im sorry, i just-" he took a sigh, not knowing how to end that sentence, hanging his head low.

" Its okay, i still need time" bringing her forehead to his and resting them together.

" I know i know, i just got back into old habbits, old familiarities. Im sorry" he wrapped his arms around her shoulders pulling her into him.

" Its not your fault that were not back to husband and wife activities. I think that blame falls to me." Digging her head into his neck, and returned to favour from before by placing some small kisses of her own there.

" Its not your fault, not of it is" he pulled her head back again, so he could rest his forehead on hers. " let's just make a promise not to even attempt to do- anything for a few weeks, your obviously no where near ready," she took a large sigh when he said that.

" I wanna be"

" yeah but your not, and that's okay" he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and bent down to capture her lips again, however.

" Dada! Dada!" The voice of stoick Haddock the ll filled the stair hallway, capturing the attention of the two adults who were still in the kitchen below.

Eyeing the stair case hiccup said," well I guess the little dragon is up"

" daddy!" He yelled once more, causing hiccup to pull apart from his wife's embrace. " I'll get him, you wait here" he commanded, but it was more like he was doing her a favour. She had no energy anyway to argue otherwise.

She heard his feet creek and they go up the stairs, finally coming to a stop, realising that he had reached the top. This is where she listened carefully as her two boys talked.

" Hey buddy, you finally woken up?" She heard another creak in the floor boards above her.

" Where mama? Mama?" Her heart aches as his little voice spoke her name.

" You want you mama? Okay come on, let's go see mommy" the floor boards started to creek again, as heavy feet came down the stairs, she couldn't help herself but to wait at the bottom of them, waiting for the two to emerge.

" Mama?"

" Yeah let's go see mama" there voices became louder as the two finally came into sight coming down the narrow stair case with hiccup hold their little boy, hair full of auburn bed head which was definitely a trait he got from his farther. He had his bed clothes on and hugged a small blanket close for warmth.

His little sleepy face brightened up at the sight of his mother standing there with open arms.

" Mommy!" He almost jumped out of hiccups arms to get to her, having his arms and tiny legs wrap around her. That fearlessness, was a trait he got from her.

" Hi baby, told you I'd be here in the morning, mommy's not going anywhere. Ever." She kissed the side of his head as he snuggled in closer, listening to his mother's soft words.

" Come on you two, breakfast. I wanna see both eat something before I leave" he walked over to the pot of porridge and started dishing it out. But at the sound of his farther leaving stoick head shot out of his mother's neck.

" Where goin?"

" Oh buddy, daddy got to go to work. I promise though to sneak away to see you both" he said walking up to his wife and child after dishing out the breakfast.

" Pwomise?" A little lip began to quiver.

" Promise!" Firmly answering, placing a quick kiss on his soft cheek. " now come on breakfast."

xx

The day dragged more than she would have liked it too. Hiccup left and Astrid was finally left with the realisation that she was actually looking after a two year old and had know idea how to. She couldn't ask hiccup, he was gone, she was alone.

So step by step, she started the day, by getting him dressed, to be honest she found it quite easy. He was independent enough, stepping into the Cotten pants he had and his very own tunic. She helped him when it came to his little boots, but once in the boy was excited to get out, only one last thing she put on him, a fur body warmer, that had no sleeves, winter was coming and that cool air was like ice.

She had to say looking at him like this he was a spitting image of hiccup, no doubt. She followed his lead, let him take her to his favourite places, which was mainly the sand front, where he collected shells to make his 'mommy a necklace.'

Finding it quite cute, Astrid was at least thankful that his little activities distracted her from her own inner demons. But yet that still didn't stop the nervous twitches and constantly looking over her shoulder. ' no where was safe'

One of stoick places was in fact gobbers work shop, probably hiccups doing trying to make their son a black smith before he became a dragon rider.

" Gob gob!" The boy ran in, shell chain in his hands, and his mother trailed behind, ready to just collapse there and then.

" There's me wee little 'Haddock" scooping him up.

" I see yer been busy, shell collector yer are. Remember what yer farther said, each shell is a wee little fishy, we protect the fishes" bopping him on his nose, gaining a giggle.

Holding up the chain and shaking it in front of him, " a fishy"

" eyy a wee fishy" he placed the boy back on the ground and let him wander around. He then proceeded to turn all his attention on the blonde leaning against hiccups old work bench.

" Yer alright lass?" She cocked her head up.

" Oh yeah, just taking care of a two year old is a lot harder than I thought" a smirk appeared on his face at the thought.

" Eyy, imagine what hiccup went through" he picked up a near hammer and started back on his work, yet he was still in ear shot.

" I can't even begin to think how hard that was" she did feel a ping of guilt, she knows she had no choice, but she left him with a new born to raise on his own, and he had done a marvellous job.

" Eyy, but the wee lad proved us all wrong, stubborn just like his farther." While the two adults talked, the the corner of her eye Astrid noticed something.

" Stoick?" But it was too late what ever stoick was doing he had managed to pull it out behind gobbers desk to show the two.

" Err laddie, that's not to play with" gobber stopped what he was doing trying to grab the boy before he shows everyone what he had found in gobbers shop.

But it was too late for that, cause astrid saw it, and all of a sudden it was becoming hard to breath as she felt the walls cave in.

" Why? Why do - you" she pointed to the object the gobber now had in his hands," Why?"

They were chains, them chains, the ones that had her tied to a wall for the past two years. They were the chains she was hung in, starved in, beaten in, raped in.

Her eyes had now become blurry as she was taking small steps backwards. ' I will not go back, I will not go back'

" Astrid it's not that, we are just tryin to find out where the metal comes from, maybe stop there supplier from supplying our enemy" she still took steps back.

" Astrid?"

" I won't go back, I can't go back" with realising what she was meaning he tried to retake his attempt on calming her down.

" No no Astrid, we are not,"

" I can't go back" this time when she took another step backwards she banged into someone behind who immediately wrapped their arms around her. That's then she snapped, she didn't know who it was, nor did she care she just had to get out. So she turned and punched whatever was behind her.

" Ow" the lanky man fell to the ground, holding his jaw and gaping at her. That lanky man was her husband.

Horror filled her insides, " Hiccup I'm - I'm so sorry" she looked back for just a second and it was enough to see horror in her sons eyes. She went back to hiccup who was now stood up but his hand was still around his jaw and a bit of blood cane from the corner of his mouth.

" Astrid?" Something was wrong, he could see it in her eyes as they streamed with blurry tears.

" I'm sorry, but can't do back, I-I can't go back in chains" she ran, it was the first thing she could think of, running. Anywhere, she didn't care, she just had to run.

" Astrid wait!" He husband yelled behind her, but her legs kept on going, and they weren't for stopping.

xx

" Astrid wait!" He has to chase after, find out what was wrong, it hadn't even been a full day, what could have gone wrong, but before he had the chance stoick stopped him.

" Dada?" He looked to where his son was, standing in the middle of gobbers workshop, guilt and horror filled his eyes as well as tears. His little shell chain was still in his hands.

Looking between the running blonde and the little boy he knew what he had to do first, " damn it " he came over to where stoick was, picking him up and giving him a bit of comfort.

" Mommy hurt daddy" his little fingers touched the still sensitive corner of hiccups mouth.

" oh no! No no no. Mommy didn't mean too. Daddy err daddy was being silly, remember when I said mommy would be sad when she got back, well daddy scared her and that was silly of him" the boy didn't look too convinced, but after a minute he agreed.

" Silly daddy"

" yeah silly daddy, okay now I'm going to find mommy and help her, you stay here with uncle gobber." He set the boy on the edge of the work table and kissed his fluffy hair.

" Oh do I not get a wee say in this" gobbers voice appeared from behind, she only caused the chief to shoot a glare his way. " gobber please?!"

" Gob gob" if anything it was stoicks words that persuaded him more.

" Fine, I guess I can take care of the laddie" coming over and picking the boy up.

" Thank you"

xx

He searched everywhere, the academy, the house, the mead hall, he even got toothless to fly him to the cover. Nothing. He was so close to just flying back to the forge and leaving Astrid to come back in her own time.

But he took toothless once again around the island, and it was only when toothless spotted his scaly blue best friend that he pulled hiccup towards gothi's mountain, on a perch that looked out to the ocean, where him and Astrid used to go to for some 'quiet time'.

Along with stormfly, a certain blonde sat on the edge of the perch confirmed it was in fact Astrid. Slowly climbing off toothless' saddle, the young chief was greeted by the bird like dragon.

" Hey girl," he scratched the side of her face as she cooed into his hand. " how's our girl" he looked over to the blonde who still hadn't noticed that he was here.

Again the dragon cooed, " yeah I know, let's see if I can cheer her up" he started to walk away and behind heard the two reptiles pounce about.

" Now you two be good" he gave one final warning before he walked off towards Astrid.

She hadn't yet give notice that she knew of hiccups presence, still sat on the grassy ground hugging her knees into her chest. Though the snap of a twig from hiccup weight shifting, snapped her out of her quiet state.

Her panicked state quietened down when she saw hiccup, knowing she was in no immediate danger, but the bruise forming in the corner of his mouth made her realise what she had done.

" Hiccup I'm so so sorry" she didn't get up, she didn't have too, Hiccup was already half way at getting down and plonking himself next to her.

" You wanna tell me what happened?" He copied her, by crossing his legs and drawing his knees close to his chest, arms wrapped around them.

" I don't know, I flipped. I didn't know it was you behind me, I swear" she drew her hand up towards the corner of his mouth, running a thumb over a fresh cut only to make him wince a little.

" I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it" Her voice failing her as her eyes filled up.

" I know," he pulled her into his arms once again, feeling weight shift against his. " what happened Astrid?" Pulling back, still sat on his lap and his arms wrapped around her.

" I saw them chains," he immediately knew what she meant, the chain he told gobber to keep out of sight.

" Astrid look,"

" no hiccup you don't understand, what they did to me while I was in those chains, will never go away. Do you understand, I was tied in them chains while they decided what they were going to do to me, do you understand." She sobbed quietly as she tried to make him see, but she didn't need to press any further, he got the message.

" Oh Ast"

" I don't wanna talk about it" she shrugged it off, keeping her distance in a way, but still sat firmly on his lap.

" I see," stroking her upper arms, " they will be gone by the morning I promise" he got a small sad smile in return but a smile non the less.

He pulled a confident move, by leaning up to place a single passionate kiss on her lips. She accepted of course, kissing him back while one of her hands ran through his hair.

Though he did pull back first as the pain from the side of his mouth became uncomfortable, she raised her other hand running a thumb over it.

" Did you see the way he looked at me?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes before she continued. " Stoick. He looked so scared of me" he grabbed her hand in his, immediately stroking it with his thumb. Her eyes seemed lost and yet again hard to read.

" It's okay, I made him understand. He knows it wasn't your fault, it's okay" she pulled back and through her narrowed eyes she looked at him.

" How?"

" Told him it wasn't your fault, you didn't mean to, I scared you, it was my fault" she fell back into him, resting her forehead on hers with a large sigh.

" Oh Hiccup,"

" It's true, it was my fault astrid, I should have known you weren't ready to go back to normal, I should have spent the day with you," she started to interrupt him.

" No Hiccup I'm -"

" - can you honestly say that you were fine today?" She didn't answer straight away, didn't know what her answer would be, she only looked down, and with every strength she had, slowly shook her head.

" I should have stayed with you, helped you instead of running off after the village and not let you deal with this on your own."

Her body collapsed into his, her face buried deep in his neck as loose arms wrapped around the other.

" I'm okay, it's okay" she mumbled words into his neck, her hot breath sending shivers down his spine.

" It's not okay Astrid, none of this is." He rocked her slowly, " It's why I wanted to talk to you in the first place. I was talking to lout and ruff before, they are doing counciling, with Phlegma. They did a session this morning, they said it helped. I was just thinking, maybe we go counciling," she stopped him right there.

" You think I need counciling?"

He saw the hurt forming behind her eyes and tried his best to explain it more, " no! I think we need counciling, as a married couple. I need it. I don't know how to handle this situation, I need help understanding what you've been through" he face still looked hurt, but behind all that her eyes were understanding.

" Please I need this" she didn't give her answer straight away, sitting back and looking down at her village, and the thought of stoick came to mind. He need his mother, whatever it takes.

" Okay, I'll do it" with the sad smile on her face he could tell she wasn't sure about it, but it was necessary, for the both of them.

" thank you" He placed a kiss on her forehead, gaining another genuine smile.

" I'll book an appointment tomorrow morning, right now we have a party to go to"

" what party?" Lacing her fingers in his. " stoicks party, I did promise him" when he gave her a goofy smile, she couldn't hold back her own, pulling herself up from the ground along with hiccup.

" you spoil him, you know" he jumped up next to her wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug,

" how can I not, I spoil the people I love" he pulled out of there embrace and looking deep into her blue crystal eyes.

" So what does that mean for me?" She had that tease in her voice, the same voice she had when they were first married.

" It means, milady, that i take pleasure in spoiling you" he kissed her nose so sweetly, which only made her lean forward so her lips pressed against his

" i bet you do" her whisper was so tempting as he played witb her lips, touching them carefully not wanting this game to end.

As he lured her in with his games, she played with him, tugging on his auburn hair, but all good things must come to an end as a certain scaly friend popped his head inbetween the two and separated them immediately.

" can always count on you to ruin the moment you usless reptile" hiccup scruffed the top if his best friends head as he cooed. The dragon wanted something.

" Alright, fine we will go home" he looked over to his lady before climbing on his friends saddle.

" Are you riding with me or with stormfly?" The question was seductive without it even trying to be. But that smirk definitely made it seductive.

So without answering, step by step, stride by stride she walked over to him and climbed on the saddle with him, slowly so she could enjoy him watching her every move.

But instead of climbing behind him, she climbed infront of him, facing him, purposely running her hands up His thighs, which always, always, made him shiver.

" I want to make this work, our marriage. I want to, not just for us, but for stoick as well, I really want to make this work hiccup." She edged closer to him her hands now running up towards his waist pulling them towards her, so they were seconds apart from touching.

" I missed you" one hand moved up and caressed his neck and jawline as he leaned in. " I missed you so much"

she pulled his forehead down one more time so she was so close that she could hear him breathing. " and I swear if you tell anyone-" he threat didn't sound so threatening when she said it was a half laugh.

" I won't tell a soul" he was done with games as he leaned downwards and captured her lips, there was no words describing how much he missed her.

The dragon beneath them though was getting inpatient, very quickly. So he shook his whole body so the two would pay attention, wriggling till the two broke apart.

" Okay okay! Buddy, we really need to talk about your inpatient issues. It's really starting to fuck me up" he giggle leaning around his wife and stroking his best friend on the top of his head.

" Oh don't blame him, the amount of times we nearly stripped off naked on his back, he has the right to be a bit restless" she sniggered as her husbands cheeks went bright red.

" Alright, so is that a yes to riding with me ?" He asked not wanting her to bring up anymore embarrassing moments.

" It's a yes, if I get to sit at front" Her devilishly smile never failed to have him crumbling to his knees.

" You know I always hated you taking the lead, you used to rub your arse against me, it was my greatest weakness" he smirked as she was already turning around, planting herself right in between his legs.

" It's what wives are good at" she smiled as his arms wrapped around her and grabbed the saddle. She secretly loved and hated the fact he was taller than her, towering over her. That's why it was a secret.

" Your not just good for that " he said it so seriously as he leaned into her neck. She knew how he felt about the old ways on how men should treat women, he was raised by his farther, to respect women as their equal, not as their possession. " it's why I missed you so much, I needed you, you give me council, you help me focus, you basically run this village as you have me wrapped around your finger, but I love you for it."

He kisses the side of her neck, " it's why I think this counciling will be good for us"

she shook her head in agreement, " right shall we"

" we shall, bud, the great hall"

xx

The music could be heard throughout the village, the joys of laughter filled with the sounds of bagpipes and drums lifted the young vikings spirts without them even knowing. As the great nightfury landed softly on the freezing grass, the blue bird like dragon landed behind him, watching as their riders climbed off.

No words were said, they didn't really need to, not really. Their eyes spoke for them as the young chief turned around and took his wife by her waist, helping her down.

" Chief, I'll have you know I'm a married woman" she teased purposely rubbing her leg against his.

" I won't tell if you don't" he played along with her tune, hands firmly wrapped around her back.

She smirked and slowly leaned up to is ear, her whispers set shivers straight down his back and between his legs. " it will be our little secret"

The two giggles like children keeping secrets as they both pressed their noses together before separating, " Come on, our little boy is missing his parents at his own birthday party"

He took her hand and guided her in, as the large doors opened, the cheers roared as the fire burned around the edge of hall, lighting up the hall with a warm orange light. His people danced around and around the floor as the other vikings and their allies sat on round and long tables drinking mead, laughing and joking, getting more drunk by the second, shovelling what ever food they can find into their mouths.

It was Viking tradition of course, the parties to be so rowdy, you couldn't leave one without there being a drunken fight. Though the sight made astrid eyes light up as well as staring and familiar and unfamiliar faces, the ones she knew, the faces she loved all sat on the large long table at front, the chiefs table.

And with their friends, hiccups mother, and the two right hand men of the chief sat stoick as he was deep in conversation with gobber, his grandmother, Eret and heather along with Dagur, Mala and hroar. He was giggling, laughing and the sight of her son smiling made her stop dead in her tracks.

An arm wrapped around her shoulder, " He's not scared of you, never was. He's two, and he doesn't understand, but he will because he loves you so much" his hand rubbed her shoulder.

" Come on" with his arm still wrapped around her the two made their way to the chiefs table, but not long before they reached the larger table were the two greeted by the joyful voice of their son.

" Mama, Dada " the boy wiggled out of his grandmothers arms, scurried under the table and ran through the crowd towards his parents.

But it wasn't astrid that greeted him by picking him up in their arms. It was hiccup, of course, stoick was definitely daddy's little boy. Who could blame him, Hiccup did raise him.

" Hiya buddy" he kissed his tiny nose while the boy giggle. She watched her boys stoick was just like hiccup, his hair, his nose, his smile, he was like a tiny hiccup especially with his mannerism and clothing. The only thing was his eyes, his bright crystal blue eyes. And maybe his desire to jump of anything more than 4 feet, he was a little climber indeed.

" Mama Okay?" The boy turned to his mother.

" Yeah mummy's Okay now" Hiccup brought the boy to her, he was already itching to climb out his farthers arms and jumped straight into hers.

" Hi sweetie, I'm okay now, I'm so sorry for scaring you" Stoick raised a hand, placing on her cheek and stroked it.

" It okay mommy, daddy silly" her eyes wandered up to hiccup who only smiled.

" Daddy's not silly, it's just that mommy's not doing so well. But I'll get better, I promise" she kissed his precious hand before hoisting him up into her arms more.

" Why don't you two enjoy the feast, I'm just going to circulate around the hall, see if our guests are enjoying themselves." He rubbed his sons head.

" Bye bye daddy" the two walked off to the table with the rest of their families and friends, Astrid sitting firmly between valka and gobber.

Walking around his people and allies the Chief came across a familiar face, " hello friend" Eret came up to him.

" Eret" Eret patted him on the back, he always did hate that.

" That doesn't look pretty" he pointed to the bruise forming on the corner of his mouth.

" I'm fine" brushing it off and walking along side his right hand man. " so what can I do for you Eret" Hiccup asked getting to the point, he knew his friend wanted something.

" well I wanted to ask you something, as a friend, as someone who cares about you and your family" he paused, the two men stopping in their tracks, Hiccup giving him a nod to speak freely.

" It's only from observation, but do you think it's wise leaving Astrid alone with stoick," he was going to explain further but was interrupted.

" What do you mean?"

" I only meant that, do you think she is safe with stoick, or is he safe with her?" The words hit hiccup hard as his eyes flicked between his friend and his family sat on the long table.

" My wife has been through a traumatic few years, but she would never hurt stoick" he spoke firmly standing his ground.

" You never thought she would hurt you but," pointing at his bruised mouth.

" That was different I scared her, she saw something I didn't want her too and I only scared her even more. That was my fault not hers." His eyes suddenly went back to astrid as stoick, him sat on her knee, bouncing up and down.

" what if stoick scared her what then ?" He stoke freely like hiccup asked, but he was now regretting his decision.

" Stoick won't scared, she's scared of men not children. What would you say if the same thing happened to heather and people were saying she wasn't safe?" He turned it back on him, lowering his voice down as he spoke.

Eret didn't answer.

" What would you say if you heard her screaming at night through night terrors and people were saying she was a liability? What would you say?"

Taking a beep breath he answered, " I'd tell them - that they don't know what the fuck their talking about"

" thank you" the two men understood each other now " I know she's flipping out, but I'm going to help her, she's going to a councillor, Phlegma, both me and her, she's going to be okay"

" alright Chief, alright" his friend went off wandering back to the table where his wife and son was, but he didn't move straight away, he just stared at them, wondering. Maybe Eret was half right, she wasn't safe at this moment in time, but she's getting help, he was going to help her, he made a vow. And as for their little boy, she need him more than she need her husband. Stoick was going to save her, cause stoick was her reason to fight.


	8. Reconnecting a marriage - part 1

" chief!"

He could have sworn if he heard that word one more time he was going to bash his head in with a rock, literally, he couldn't take it anymore.

" Chief!"

That's it where is there a rock.

Scurrying through the village he managed to escape without getting caught by any of the council members, he knew he was needed, he knew he had things to do, but if another person asked about what job they had now, he was going to rip his hair out.

So when he saw a gap to escape, he took it, grabbing toothless by the saddle and making a run for it. Don't get him wrong he loved his job, but today of all days, his mind was else where. Today was the first marriage council meeting him and Astrid were going to have. And it was hanging over him like a dark cloud. He just wanted to be with his family, this morning astrid didn't seem to happy about it, he woke up and she was already down stairs, he offered to make breakfast before he left but she just shrugged it off.

He hated her being mad at him, hated it.

So as the young chief and his best friend ran through the village like two thiefs they went to the one place where he was sure she was. She wants to get back into reality, do things, but he's not ready to place an axe in her hands, just in case the next time she decides to flip instead of punching them in the face, she puts her axe in their skull. Not the best idea right now.

But she wanted to do something, get out the house, so he gave her the task, which nearly got him his two front teeth punch out, of fruit picking with stoick to help the market makers make jam, just before the cold air killed them all . Stoick loved berry picking, hiccup used to leave him with gothi and the other women to just eat berries while they did the work. So on the far side of the island with stormfly taking a nice long break, the two picked berries.

xx

" one for me, two for jam" Stoick picked strawberries from the bushes and placed one him his mouth while he placed two in the basket his mama held.

" If you eat them all there won't be enough for the jam" she giggled to herself picking a few herself so that stoick didn't eat them all.

" Shhh" he put his finger to his lip as he took another strawberry and ate it. She stood watching with a smile plastered on her face as he ran from the strawberry bush to the blueberries, picking them off one by one and eating them as fast as he could. He didn't run far, still in the sight of his mother as she was sifting through the berries, not much but they'd get them through the winter months.

She felt his breath first, she knew by his breathing it was him, his soft breaths of excitement whenever he was near her, and then his arms came around her, hugging her close as his chin fell onto her shoulder blade and the two watched as stoick ran around the fields.

" How is he?" His voice came out like a shush.

" Eating all the berries" Giggling she pressed her cheek against his feeling his heat radiate into her fresh cold face.

" Oh really?" He leaned forward grabbing a handful of raspberries and blackberries, shovelling them down his mouth before she had time to stop him.

" Well now I know where he gets it from, we are supposed to save them for the jam" she smacked his hand as he tried again, and placed the weaved basket down on the ground. That gave him more excess to wrap himself around her thin waist pulling her back into his chest.

" What you doing here anyway, don't you have work?" He nuzzled into her neck more, kissing her exposed skin.

" They gave me a break" he didn't sound so convincing as she turned to face him wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer, which only made his smirk grow bigger.

" Really? They gave you, their chief, a break?" She questioned his answer, but his answer was still the same.

" Yep, they claim I need to spend more time with my family" she didn't know whether to believe him or not, but the smile spread across his face lifted her spirits.

" Really?" He nodded again, and this time she didn't doubt it, placing a kiss on his lips which he gladly excepted.

" Daddy!" Behind the two as they pulled apart was stoick running towards them with a ring of berries where he got it all over his mouth.

" Oh my big boy" he picked up the stumbling toddler with ease, as he scooped him up in his arms and held him to his chest.

" Mommy tells me you have been eating all the berries" bouncing him up and down as he walked back to where Astrid was.

" I not eat bewrwies," but pulled a cheeky hiccup smile, which gave astrid a fast back to when hiccup was a young boy pulling innocent smiles like that to get out of trouble. How the two were alike.

" Oh really?" Hiccup questioned playing along to the boys tune, though he knew the little one wouldn't be able to keep it up.

He shook his tiny head in reply as he still wore that cheeky smile on his face, " well what's this?" Hiccup pointed to the red stain that surrounded his mouth, and the boy knew straight away he had been caught.

" I had ittle bewrwies" he put his fingers together to show size, " only little ones you say"

" yeah" with a wide genuine smile on the little boys face, hiccup couldn't help but be happy, and let the little one off.

" Okay then, if they were only little" he kissed the side of his sons head and the proceeded to get the muck off his face.

" Daddy stay?" He looked at his daddy first then his mommy.

" Yeah daddy stay"

For the next hour they spent in the fields stoick had gone through a hole bush of strawberries and giving some to toothless and stormfly who followed the little human where ever his little legs carried him. Of course the boy shared some with his parents running to the young couple who were tangled up on the ground, Astrid sat in between hiccups legs as her back pressed against his chest once more and hiccups arms wrapped around her, keeping the warmth between them.

Hiccup loved this, his wife in his arms, so close every breath he made he could smell her scent within the air, sweet, fruity. Maybe it was the fruit in the baskets beside them, but he knew most of it was his Astrid. He loved watching stoick play with toothless and stormfly, he loved it, stoick was born to be around dragons, it was in his blood, from only a few month old stoick was not afraid of them, in fact stoick liked toothless more that his own daddy at some point.

But that didn't matter, not really, cause now he could sit back and watch as his toddle three berries at their scaly friends and just like loyal dogs did they both sit there and try to catch them. Secretly stoick loved toothless more, not because he loved stormfly less, it was just because toothless had been his own personal bodyguard since, well since astrid was pregnant. Something in toothless snapped when he found out his best friend was having a baby, it was like all that mattered was protect this little human, no matter what.

" He's good with him" Astrid voice broke Hiccup out of his own thoughts, bringing him back to this moment.

" He's our son, it's in his blood to be a dragon rider" he shifted under her, pulling her up a little trying to keep warmth between them.

" Well yeah but I meant toothless, he adores stoick, it's like he's ready to do anything to protect him" he knew, by the way she was talking, she had a smile on her face, which kinda made him smile too.

" He's been like that since you told everyone you were pregnant, I mean, he snapped at me once remember. I don't know, maybe since he knows that's my baby, my son, he knows that I'd want him to choose stoick over me" she looked up towards him, he didn't look down at her, his eyes were glued on stoick the whole time.

" I know what you mean" and again the two parents sat watching their little boy. Leaving only hiccups words to fill the air.

" It's weird isn't it, that feeling of nothing matters anymore, not you, not your life, not anything you ever lived for, just this baby, just this boy. Everything that was once important, is no longer important. Just him. Just his happiness." She didn't answer, she didn't need to, they both knew how each other felt, but just to make sure he knew she was listening, she snuggled up to him, allowing his arms to further wrap around her. At that moment, nothing worried them, not the horrors of the past, not the fears of the future, not the village that was counting on the Haddocks to fix everything.

They were at peace. Until ...

" Chief" Oh shit.

Just above where they sat, a huge shadow flew over them, revealing gobber flying on grump's back hovering in between where the two married couple sat and where stoick was playing.

" Oh Hey gobber, What you doing this far from the village?" He shifted out from under astrid hoping he'd catch gobber before he said something he didn't want his wife to hear.

" I could say the same bout ya laddie, been look fur ya fur over and hour now." Crap. At that point he had given up, if he wasn't going to get an earful off gobber he was most definitely going to one off his mrs.

" Hiccup!" He voice rang in his ears. He could only turn the fault to gobber.

" Seriously, are you trying to get me murdered?" The old mentor only laughed as the blonde Haddock came strutting over, boy did he not envy him at this moment.

" You said that they gave you time off?!" She pulled him to face her, he pulled an old hiccup move, rubbing the back of his neck with that famous sheepish smile.

" Well, it might have been a white lie. You know I wanted to spend sometime with you and stoick" if he pulled at that smile one more time... oh there it is, the ' please forgive me, I love you' smile.

" You're an idiot hiccup, an idiot." She strutted right past him, past where gobber was still hovering, she didn't miss the side glance the two men gave each other, but that still didn't stop her from walking right over to stoick and pulling him up into her arms.

" Come on stoick we are going home" she held him tight even though he was kicking and screaming.

" No! I stay here and play" he kicked and kicked. " I stay, I stay"

" Stoick listen to your mother" Hiccup came over trying to lift stoick out of of her arms, but she moved. " you have work, I can't believe you lied to me, the one time you got my hopes up about you spending a few hours with us, and you lied about it" she took stoick to stormfly, lifting him on the saddle and strapping him in.

" I stay mommy, I stay" she tied the straps tighter. " we are going back"

" I'll make it up to you ast, I promise, I'll try and come home early, try and give you and stoick more time." She looked to him as his eyes looked deep into hers.

" Actually Chief," He turned around, " you have a council appointment with Phlegma is in ten minutes" he immediately turned to astrid again, where she only looked down with lost eyes, she had been putting it off since he booked a slot.

"Astrid?" Looking towards her, with hopeful eyes.

" We best get going then, wouldn't want to be late" she wrapped an arm around stoicks little body, before taking off on stormfly.

She left the two men standing there, looking at each other with questionable eyes, " you have wife problems, big problems" gobber giggled flying off with grump and the young chief climbed onto toothless' back.

" You have no idea"

xx

He climbed up the steps to where Phlegmas hut was, she was based on the side of the big mountain in the middle of Berk, and now he regretted giving her this hug as his prosthetic started to rub from climbing up so many stairs.

As he reached the top, Astrid sat on the outside bench, redoing her plait, to be honest he was so relieved to find her, he had been looking over the whole god damn island.

" There you are, I've been looking for you ever since you left" he came walking over and plonked himself next to her, rubbing his leg a little without actually taking off his prosthetic.

" Oh yeah sorry, I just dropped stoick off with gobber, he followed me, said he'd take care of him and then headed straight here, to be honest I thought I'd find you up here waiting for me. What's wrong with you leg" she noticed him fidgeting and couldn't help but ask.

" Oh nothing, stairs" gesturing to the large stair case.

" Well maybe I'll put some ointment on it tonight, you always liked that" she gave him a genuine smile, trying to show she was trying to get back to old ways.

And he could help but smile as well, as he answered with a full grin on his face, " Yeah, I'd like that, if you don't mind" a hand dropped to her knee, she didn't flinch or jump, she was getting used to his touch and very much craved for his comforting hands to hold her tight.

" of course, it's the little things I've missed about our marriage"

" see we don't need a councillor why are we here," he joked about with her, trying to ease the tension he knew was building up inside her, he did get a giggle out of her, that was something.

" Well actually she is just finishing off with a client, she said she would be done in a few minutes" and just as Astrid finished, Phlegmas door began to open, and the two couldn't help but over hear the conversation.

" And just remember you can come to me anytime to talk about your - problem. Every guy goes through it in their life when they can't get it up, it's natural." Phlegmas voice spoke calm and quiet, but the couple couldn't help but be nosey on who couldn't get it up.

" Thanks doc" and out stepped snotlout, who couldn't even make eye contact when he saw the chief and his wife, his friends, sat outside.

" Chief, mrs Chief!" He gave them a quick salute before scurrying down the long staircase.

The blonde quickly whipped her head back to her husband, he too held the same expression on his face as she did. " did she just say-" she didn't need to finish that sentence, he had already answered it.

" Yep!"

" About his - thing?" Her face cringed.

" Yep" the two looked back towards the stairs one last time before the finger approaching from the door way caught their attention.

" would you like to come in?" Phlegma stood next to them, smile on her face, holding the door wide open.

The two didn't get up straight away, Hiccup made the first move, getting up and holding a firm hand out to her. She only stared at it, never in her life had she been so scared to take his hand, but she knew where it would lead too.

" The sooner we get in there, the sooner we can leave"

He was right, of course he was. And with that goofy, adorable, classic hiccup smile, she couldn't help but smile back, slowly gripping his hand back and letting him pull her up from where she sat.

" Would you like to follow me please" Phlegma led the way, with Astrid following and hiccup behind her, hands on her hips, helping guide her in.

They walked into a big room with two wooden benches in the middle, they faced each other and was covered with big comfy looking furs and a wooden coffee table separating the two in between them. The set up took up most of the space of the room, however the corners were decorated with book shelf's to make it look homely and safe.

Phlegma took a seat on one of the sofas, while the two just stood still not knowing where to move. It was only when she motioned to the sofa opposite her, that they moved together. It was one of the most awkward moments when they were all sat down, but no one spoke first, the young couple just sat there waiting for Phlegma to make the first move.

" Right! Shall we begin"

she felt a hand creep into hers, the hand of hiccup, who gently brushed his thumb over the back of her hand, neither said anything but with a reassuring nod of her chief , Phlegma began.

" So, Chief you wanted to book this meeting first, let's start with any issues you wish to bring to the table" she pulled out a piece of partridge paper and a burnt charcoal pencil ready to take notes.

" You can call me hiccup, please. Erm well I really wanted to do this because, even though we have talked, I still don't think we as a married couple haven't talked about the past, now, and what lies in the future for us. I think both of us are bottling up our feelings about our situation, I know I am, and I find that in the long run it's not healthy for us as husband and wife and a family" his hand still held hers, but she still didn't speak, at this moment her eyes were only focused on the ground.

Phlegma took notes on hiccups feelings, noting down why he thinks he needs counciling, after writing down that she turned her attention to the other female in the room, however just like before astrid eyes stayed glued on the ground.

" And you, mrs Haddock?" Pencil at the ready.

But she said nothing, not at first, her eyes only lifted off the ground when Phlegma asked again. " Astrid why do you think you need to be here?"

" I don't think I need to be here" when she tried to to push further to ask why, hiccup butted in for her.

" Come on astrid, you know why we are here" he gave her hand a squeeze.

" No, no I don't, I'm here cause you wanted me to do this for stoick-"

" so you're doing this for stoick, your son?" Phlegma butted in, She put a note down already, making Astrids blood boil, she didn't understand why she had to write down every fucking thing.

" I guess, I promised hiccup I'd do this, so we as parents could do the best for him" even though she could punch Hiccup for this, she still held onto his hand, gripping onto it as an anchor.

" So deep down you must feel if you keep this up, being in denial, it will not be the best for your son?" She put another note on that fucking pad, but even though she wanted to grab that pad and smash it on her head, Astrid agreed deep down, she was right.

" Yeah" her voice sounded defeated.

" It's okay to admit your feelings astrid, this is why you are here. When was the time you released this?" Before she answered this question she let got of hiccups hand and brought his arm around her body, he immediately brought her into his embrace, just like she knew he would.

" The day I flipped out, and hit hiccup, in front of him. He was so scared of me, I knew then, I couldn't keep this up." She knew he needed help, she just didn't want to admit it, what if hiccup decided that her looking after stoick was no longer safe, she needed her son, he was the only thing that made her get out of bed in the morning.

" Having break downs are very common, especially since it's not even been a month since you have been in safe and familiar territory" she gestured to the way hiccup wrapped around her protectively.

" I don't want another one, but I can't control when it happens" she held on tighter to her anchor, Gods if her mother saw her now, she would tell her to suck it up and move on, it's what Viking women do.

" No, I'm afraid not, but in time they will go away, but only if you don't keep everything bottled up, that's what out bursts are, all this energy and emotions you have bottled up, bursting out" Phlegma tried to explain to an already distressed Astrid.

" Okay whatever, let's just get this over with, just cure me already so I can go home to my son" her emotionless voice caused a cringe feeling in hiccup and Phlegma, as she pulled out of hiccups embrace and sat up in an awkward position.

" Astrid, I cant cure you, only you can, and it won't take a day. This could take weeks, month even" with a roll in her eyes the blonde stood up from the fur covered bench and started to walk around the room, pacing.

" So what the hell are we doing here in the first place? If this is going to take months then why do I have to sit here and go through two years of hell all over again, when I might as well be doing this at home" Her voice got louder and louder, a tone hiccup was quite used to when they got into husband and wife spats.

" Astrid if you do this without my help, by all means go ahead, but instead of it taking months, it could take years. Or worse it could end up breaking your marriage and your family altogether." The blondes eyes flickered to her husband, he too held that same expression on his face that phlegma did.

" So what would you suggest then?"

" we start slow, but we first need to start with the main problem, your fears" phlegmas words circled around in her head. She wasn't ready to admit her fears to herself never mind anyone else.

" I'll go first I guess" hiccups voice interrupted her spiralling thoughts.

xx

Walking out of phlegmas hut, astrid couldn't help that pit feeling in her stomach. Hiccups hand clasped hers as they walked out hand in hand, she didn't admit any of her deepest darkest fears, but hiccup did and that just didn't feel as good as she thought it would.

As they exited the hut, phlegma spoke softly breaking astrid out of her little daze. " remember I'm here anytime you need me. I'll see you in three days anyway but if you need me before then, you know where to find me. You guys did really well considering this was your first council meeting" her warm voice sounded so positive, she would have actually believed her, if it wasn't for that pit feeling in her stomach.

" I didn't even say anything" she mumbled under her breath, but it caught the attention of both hiccup and phlegma as they turned towards her.

" Yes, even though hiccup was the only one who opened up today, astrid you turning up was an even bigger achievement. This whole situation is going to be harder on you than anyone else, even if you spend the next few month just sitting in silence, it will be an achievement"

She rolled her eyes, glancing towards the staircase then back to phlegma, sensing her unease she let the two go, wishing them a good day. Not wanting to hang around the two left swiftly, but not much words were said between the two, even though their hands were intwined together, hiccup could sense the tension his wife held, he could feel it I her fingertips, see it in her face, hear it in her breath. It was only when they reached the bottom that he took the moment to pull them aside, pulling astrid with him.

" Hiccup? What is this?" Her face was a mixture of confusion and frustration, as hiccup flung her against the tree.

" what's up, you've had a face on you since we left?" She shook his hands off her, crossing her own under her chest, which didn't help hiccups situation at all, as his eyes kept flickering to her now pushed up chest.

" Nothing" her face was sour and she couldn't even look at him.

" Astrid, I know you better than anyone, and you're pissed off. Are you pissed off with me?" Mumbling under her breath the blonde tried to avoid this situation, avoiding his eye contact at all costs.

" Astrid?" He snapped.

" What?!" Her reaction mirrored his.

" Are you going to tell me how I've pissed you off this time?" She stilled pulled a face, but could see the irritation in his.

With one big sigh she let it all out, " did you really mean what you said?" She was no longer filled with anger and ignorance, but sorrow thoughts, almost insecurity.

" What do you mean?" He edged closer, but yet he still felt far from her touch.

" what you said, one of your 'fears' was that you are scared I won't go back to the way I was, that I'm not your wife anymore, like you let a stranger in your home" she tried to sound mad, but her voice came out wobbly.

" Now I never said that?" He pointed out.

" It was along those lines" her arms still crossed, and her sour look didn't fade as she tried to strut away. But before she could barge past him, he grabbed her by the upper arms and threw her back against the tree.

" Oh no no no! You are not going no where till we figure this out"

She hit the tree with a thump, " hiccup!"

" No, okay! Now I didn't say that, I said, that I was afraid I've lost you. That you won't be the same astrid anymore because of the hell you've been through, I was afraid that I won't be able to help you. That is my worst fear. I never said you were not my wife anymore, and I never said you were a stranger. You astrid, are still you, I just don't see you smile anymore, I mean when's the last time you gave me a punch in the arm." He made a half joke.

She giggled in response, giving her own sarcastic comment back, " I'll give you a punch in the face if you carry on"

" there's my girl, gods I love you" he pressed her forehead against hers, closing his eyes and breathing in her scent, she instantly did the same.

" I love you too" her voice was so quiet, quieter than a whisper, but he knew, just by the tone how real it meant.

He kissed her, swiftly but so sweetly, like he did before they were married, like it was two love struck teenagers stealing a secret kiss. Even after two years his lips were still so soft, just like she remembered them to be.

" I'm sorry I had a moment?" She apologised in between kissing and gasping for air.

" You are in titled to have them astrid" he put a smile on her face, " but we'll get through this, together" he interlocked his fingers with hers, giving them a squeeze of reassurance.

" Now lets go get our boy" and from that sweet smile, she grinned.

xx

" okay, one more time, copper, steel, titanium" gobber pointed to three chunks of metal that lay before him and Stoick, watching as the boy followed his every gesture.

" Opper, seel and tatieum" his face lite up, with a huge smile on his face as he achieved his goal, nearly.

But gobber could only smirk at the boys attempt to pronounce each word. " close enough" the Scottish blacksmith said grabbing the chunks of metal and putting them away.

" Gobber!" There stood at the entrance, hiccup and astrid stood.

" Mommy, daddy!" The boy hopped off his stood with a spring in his step and rushed over into his mothers arms.

" Oh ello chief, how may I be off assistance" gobber always made them jokes once and a while, hiccup never asked anything of gobber, the man practically raised him with his dad. But the boy was his chief.

" I just came to collect my precious package" he turned to his wife and boy, giving Stoick a little tickle under the chin.

" Ahh, do yer want it wrapped or just 'ow it is" he ignored his old mentors joke giving the attention to his little man.

" You had a good time with uncle gobber" he pulled Stoick out of his mothers and into his own, hoisting him up on his waist and letting the little boy play with the braids in his hair.

" Yeah, I gob gobs apentice now" tugging on the little braids that his mother put there, even as a baby stoick loved to play with his daddy's braids, they represented his mother, him being a chief of Berk, him being a Viking.

" Really?" The boy only grinned in response.

" oh Chief?" Gobber shouted from the other side of his shop, hiccup tore his attention away from his family to his old mentor as gobber cane walking up towards him.

" If I could just grab you for a minute, there is something I wish to discuss" his eyes glared deep into hiccup, he knew this was something more than just a discussion.

" Sure" he turned back around and handed stoick back to astrid, " why don't you take stoick home and I'll meet you back there for dinner"

" oh, okay" he gave both her and stoick a kiss before they left.

" so what is it?"

" You asked me to call a meeting when news came about Dragos movements" he said so mysteriously, whispering close.

" And?"

" It's in 20 minutes" he could feel his heartbeat through his chest at the thought. He had asked this off gobber over a week ago, when they finally got back to berk, he also remembered telling him to keep these meetings secret, as he did not want to cause any nessary panic, but he also didn't want astrid to know, he just convinced her to go these council meetings he didn't want to give her a reason to stop.

But even though he had put on a face that said everything was over and all was well, there was still a war to fight, to win. He just didn't tell anyone that.

Especially Astrid.

" Okay, thanks" gobber left without saying another word, he knew how hiccup felt about this situation, even before his people were taken, this war had gotten deep into hiccups mind, tormenting him.

Hiccup was left in his own world of thoughts, he was remembering when he was first looking for Drago, when he was trying to hard to find the ship that had his wife, mother and people on it. But the only thing that was different from then to now, was he didn't have a crying babe with him.

Xx

 _" oh please go to sleep Stoick, daddy is trying to work" he rocked the cot next to his temporary desk dagur had set up for him in his house._

 _It had been three weeks, and Stoick was finding it harder every day without his mother, his screams had gotten louder every night as the small babe cries for his mother. While hiccup was up all late hours at night trying to track down his wife and people. Dagur even had kept his promise, he sent terrors to the four other tribes of the archipelago so with the berserkers and the wing maidens as one tribe and the rest of berk as another it came to six tribes all together. Five tribes that followed the guidance of berk._

 _But now berk needed them, but all they needed was to find the god damn ship, he had one job, to find that fucking ship but he couldn't concentrate with all the screaming and the crying._

 _" Oh for gods sake Stoick please just stop crying. What do you want, I've given you everything I can think of" but the boy still cried into the night. Hiccup collapsed on to the chair next to the desk, rubbing his hands over his face again and again._

 _" Wow laddie, lookie like you need a break" gobbers head popped through the door, looking down on the young chief who was loosing the will to live by the second._

 _" Gobber I don't have time to take a nap, I need to find this god damn fucking ship, but everytime I get word of its whereabouts the next minute it just vanishes." He looked back down at the map again, where he had dotted big 'X's all around it, on where there had been sightings._

 _" Well you need a break from this too, but I was talking about a break from this little one" could it have been possible that his screams have gotten louder._

 _" Oh" he looked back down at the baby still wailing his lungs off. " see if phlegma can feed him or something, ive tried everything, I tried changing him, burping him, rocking him to sleep, and nothing. So maybe he needs feeding." He sunk back down in his chair._

 _" Phlegmas fed him three times already hiccup" he shot a glance up to his old mentor. " oh"_

 _He took a big sigh rubbing his hands over his face once again, this was too much, all of it. The stress of being a parent, he needed astrid but he was too useless to find her._

 _" Look hiccup, maybe all the babe needs is his farther" the older man rested his hand on the young parents shoulder as a sigh of reassurance._

 _" How? I'm here, rocking him to sleep but he won't shut up. He doesn't need me, he needs his mother. Do I look like his mother?" his sarcastic state came out more angry than he planned, but the lack of sleep wasn't helping though._

 _" But hiccup you're not here are you, you're too caught up with this, you ain't even noticing that your boy needs you"_

 _" but I don't know what he wants" he started to flap, standing up and staring over the cot alongside gobber at the wailing babe._

 _" That's just it Hiccup, he doesn't want anything from you, he just wants you. He wants you to hold him, be with him, put all your attention on him. Babes, even that young, know when their parents are distracted" he looked at him, then back to his son._

 _He had no idea where to start, but he remembered what Phlegma said, how babies like skin on skin, as if it was their mothers touch. He slowly started to take off his flight suit leaving the individual pieces that made up the suit on the desk._

 _Once he had gotten the top half off he took off his tunic as well, skin was better, a more physical connection._

 _" Woah laddie, what ya think yer doing?" Gobber looked back to see the Chief now topless only standing in his bottom._

 _" Phlegma said babies like skin on skin" he said picking up his son._

 _" oh, i see. I just thought ya wanted to show off yer new defined figure." Hiccup just ignored the comment, and took his baby with him around the room, rocking him slightly and easing his cries._

 _" Ey, look at that, it's working"_

 _sooner or later the cries stopped and stoick finally drifted off into a deep sleep, but hiccup didn't place him down, he kept stoick close still hushing him, still loving him._

 _He had been so caught up with just the two of them, he hadn't even noticed gobber had left. But he didn't care, he had now knew what he meant by how much stoick had needed him, cause he needed stoick. So as he calmed down from stressing, he took his sleeping son on his shoulder back to his desk chair and sat back relaxing, he looked over the map again, and he saw something he didn't notice before._

 _It was a cycle._

 _The ship that held his people, his child's mother, was on a cycle, and he knew the next destination to start. His first lead._


	9. Step two - a farthers guide

He was leaving her again, alone, with her son. The only thing is, she was running out of things and stuff to say and do. She didn't know the first thing to raising a child, but he did and he was leaving her to go off cheifing.

She was standing in the kitchen, he didn't leave as early as he used to do when they were first got married, though he made it perfectly clear he wanted to wake up and wish his family a good morning, and come home so he could tuck his boy in bed.

At the moment he was rushing around, grabbing stuff he'd need for the day, and packing a back for Stoick that would help Astrid throughout the day.

" Ive packed a few rice packs they're his favourite. His yak milk doesn't have to be drunk before lunch, he can have it afterwards" he shoved the items in the bag and then placed a quick chase kiss on her cheek.

" what do I do if he gets bored?"

He shrugged, " he likes most stuff, walking, shell collecting, usually when I was looking at maps or doing some work at my desk, I'd give him the book of dragons and he would just stare at the pictures, he loves it. Fishlegs has that at the school if you want it" he rubbed the sides of her forearms and kissed her temple.

She took the bag from the table, slinging it over her shoulder with a huge sigh. " you'll be fine."

She sighed again, throwing her head back, " I can't do this, you make it so easy, you know what he needs before he even thinks it, I don't know what to do with him, what to say? Sometimes I think he would rather be somewhere else than with me " she huffed again, he'd never seen her like this, she so badly wanted what he had, he hated she felt this way.

With a sigh of his own, he took her hands in his and gave them a little squeeze, " Astrid, do you really think I was a pro at the start of all this? You think I was no.1 dad?" He gave a little chuckle before her carried on. " I was a mess, I just lost half my tribe, my friends, my mom, you. My head was spinning and all of a sudden it just hit me that I had this crying, tiny, little human looking at me, wanting stuff from me. He cried all night long, and suddenly I found out that he wanted his mother," she looked into his eyes.

" So how did you stop him from crying?"

" Well, at first staying up all night, but then phlegma told me to take off my tunic and take of his baby grow, skin on skin. Basically I was trying to sooth him by making him think I was you." She missed that stage, the closeness shed have had with Stoick, breast feeding was supposed to be a bond between mother and child.

" who fed him?" It was the question she dreaded to ask, who shared that bond with her child, the bond only she was supposed to share.

" Phlegma, she's had children, all grown up now, it was only so he could be fed and then I'd spend the rest of the day with him." She gave a sad smile in response, she'd missed so much.

" You'll do fine Astrid, you're already one of his most favourite people in the entire world, he talks about you all the time, he missed you so much, and he absolutely loves spending time with you." He rubbed her forearms again. She nodded in agreement.

" Okay"

" now I really need to go, you think you'd be okay till lunch time?" He questioned pulling his farthers fur cloak over his shoulders and clipping it into place.

" Why what's happening at lunch" asking her husband as he took a few strides in her direction and placing a sweet kiss on her cheek.

" I'm joining my family for lunch in the great hall, see you around mid- day?" Took a few steps back towards the door before turning around to see her answer. She grinned and nodded her head, happy to have his lunch date all sorted he headed for the door. But before closing it he looked back once more, seeing his wife, bag shrugged over her shoulder, turning towards the sofa bench where Stoick sat playing with his toy dragon, and her pulling him into her arms and hugging his close.

The sight warmed him, he knew she was having a tough time, trying to reconnect with him. But she had no idea, he didn't always know how to look after his baby. In some words, he was a total wreck.

xx

 _He's crying again. He wasn't hungry, he didn't have wind, he'd only just woken up from his nap, that only left one thing. He lifted his two month baby in his arms, but he didn't need to lift him higher than he already had, the smell hit him straight away. Great._

 _" What the fuck is that smell?" The disgusted voice came from dagur as he walked into the chiefs home family room, along with his sister, Eret, tuffnut and gobber._

 _" Oh it's the fragrance I've just bought from your markets. What? You don't like it?" His sarcasm followed him as he went over to the changing table and placed Stoick on it._

 _" Eww eww eww, that gas's smell is coming from your small tiny human" tuffnut pointed a long accusing finger at the tiny babe._

 _" Of course it is, he's a baby" heather said elbowing his shoulder and shoving his arm down._

 _All the while hiccup stood there while Stoick cried and fussed, but he didn't know where to start. He had an eight week old baby and he didn't know how to change his own baby._

 _" Hiccup? You okay there laddie?" Gobber walked up next to his young apprentice, now young and looking very confused farther._

 _" Err well..." he didn't have to finish that sentence, his old mentor had got what he meant to say._

 _" You've been a farther for eight weeks, and you don't know how to change a diaper?"_

 _He shrugged again._

 _" It's okay brother, I'm a proud farther of a four year old-" dagur came up behind him and patted him on his back, " and I've changed many, many diapers"_

 _" mala make you do it" Erets voice came from the back._

 _" yeahhh" dagur replied with a sigh, still looking down at the fussing baby._

 _" So- brother wanna learn how to change one of the most disgusting things you will ever see in your entire life?" Dagur has always creeped him out but this was on a new level._

 _As dagur grinned at the new farther, hiccups only response was to shrug and reply " no?"_

 _" Come onnn, it'll be fun"_

 _xx_

 _Hiccup, dagur, Eret and tuffnut sat on the bench next to each other, all looking into space, completely and utterly mortified._

 _" We never speak of this" Erets stern voice spoke out first, yet he still didn't look at the other three._

 _" Yep" dagur nodded._

 _" Agreed" Hiccup, nervously rubbing the back of his neck._

 _" Uh-huh" and tuffnut couldn't even get the words out. They all just sat there, trying to forget the past few minutes._

 _Meanwhile gobber was with Stoick at the changing table and heather walked up to the traumatised four._

 _" You guys are pathetic-" they all looked at her, ready to come back with a defensive comment, " it took four guys and five diapers to change one tiny baby"_

 _" that!" Tuffnut shouted pointing a long finger towards Stoicks direction, " that, is not a baby, for all I know that is the spawn of a scauldron, it spat liquid out of every direction" he put his hand on his forehead, resting it on his fingertips, still holding a mortifying look on his face._

 _" Don't you think you're overreact-" Eret started but tuffnut cut in before he continued._

 _" It went in my eye. Twice" Eret went silent while the others sniggered silently._

 _" Okie dokie, one clean 'nd fresh babe" gobber came walking over with Stoick all dressed up in his cream baby grow, and his handed the babe back to the chief, carefully placing him into his arms._

 _" Devils spawn" tuffnut thought out loud._

 _" My baby tuff, and your future chief" hiccup quietly reminded him while rocking Stoick in his arms, his eyes didn't leave him for one second._

 _" Sure now he's good" dagur started to complain getting up from his seat next to Hiccup._

 _He went to stand near heather who still look bewildered, " I still can't believe it took four grown men to try and change a baby. And you still couldn't do it" she flung her hands up flabbergasted, while the rest, excepted gobber, look ashamed._

 _" Hey, it's a lot harder than it looks" Eret said trying to hold on to whatever dignity he had left, didn't go very well._

 _" Unbelievable" was her reply as she shook her head at the four adults._

 _But before anymore could be said a very out of breath fishlegs came barging through the door, gasping for air and trying to get his words out._

 _" Hahh errr hah, cheifff, hooo, errrm chief?" Placing his large hands on his even larger knees fishlegs bent down a little gasping to what ever air was around him._

 _" Fish? What's up" hiccup got up carefully as Stoick still slept soundly even throughout fishlegs outburst. However he did not hold onto him long as he handed Stoick over to heather, while he dealt with what ever fishlegs was going to throw at him._

 _" It's errr, oh my, it's the trackers, they've just got back, and - and they sighted the ship that our friends and family our on. They've left berk, and they are on the move."_

 _This had been the best news in two months. For weeks they had spent their time regaining strength and getting reinforcements, however they did not know whether dragos army had yet left berk, all they need was a ship sighting, and now they have out, they can make the first move to regaining strength and finding their loved ones. They could go home._

 _" that's amazing fishlegs, where abouts was the ship spotted?" He help his friend up to a proper stand up position, patting him on his back for the good news he brought._

 _" Near some abandoned islands east side of the archipelago, however I got our map and those islands are near a small island called mole island, it's called after it's town, mole town. They say it's the place where you can't get anything you want, scavengers is what they call the traders there." Fishlegs as usual looked up the island so he knew every inch and scrap of detail about it, it's why hiccup is lucky to have him on his council and as his friend. He never went somewhere blind, and with fishlegs he never had too._

 _" that's great, alright Eret?!" Eret shot up on demand. " Get a team of trackers ready, I want them to keep an eye of that ship, up make sure you make it clear I don't want no contact, no matter what, we don't have the numbers yet, or the mental strength. I just want to keep and eye on where is goes. Try not to lose it" he nodded, and saluted like a crew member on a ship, fo his chief in command._

 _" You got it chief!" He was out the door before hiccup could give out his next orders, but that's what made Eret such a good second in command, he was alert and on the ball, and he followed the orders of his chief, not cause he has to, but out of respect._

 _" Okay, fish, I want to to get the map and set a course to mole town, and easy safe route, we'll head there after our first stop" fishlegs what about to leave when the last words that the chief spoke lingered in his head._

 _" I'm sorry chief, first stop?" Hiccup could only look at his old time friend with a warm smile._

 _" Yes fishlegs, we're going home"_

 _xx_

 _Berk was a mighty island. Sure it was small, but it was one of the hardest to conquer. And yet even now, as the rest of Berk landed in their old home, with the burnt black houses, crumbling by the second as another blow of ocean wind hit them, and the ground covered in all kinds of crap, even now, Berk was still standing._

 _Yet it was still emotional, one by one as they got off their dragons, the villagers burst into tears, their homes have been destroyed, some that had memories of countless generations before them. And they were all destroyed._

 _Hiccup climbed off toothless carefully, he had been one of the last to land, however toothless was flying a lot slower than usual, but with a baby strapped to hiccups person, he thought it best to take it slow._

 _Looking around his village, his home, he felt a hint of guilt as he saw his island burnt and destroyed. How disappointed his farther would be. This was his home and he was the chief, nothing like this would have happened if his farther was still here. The memory of his dad brought tears in the corners of his eyes, looking to his baby boy, who hadn't even spent one night in berk, this was supposed to be a welcoming, bringing his little boy into the tribe and the world. How he let everyone down._

 _" Chief?" He turned to where Eret stood, he knew Eret saw the emotion in his face by the way Eret held a concerned look on his face._

 _" I've scouted around, most huts are destroyed, the main hall a mess, the academy too. But-" the Chiefs eyes shot up from his son to the ex pirate. " your house, yours and astrids, it's not been touched?"_

 _It was more of a question really, as the confusion built up inside him, but hiccup already knew why._

 _" Thanks Eret, I'll head up there now" taking long slow strides towards his home, he left the others to grieve with the loss of there homes._

 _He got there faster than he thought, although his thoughts were else where at the moment, walking through the front door, seeing his kitchen and living area, everything where he left it, like nothing had happened. He turned to his boy, unstrapping him from his flight suit and holding him close._

 _" look buddy, it's our home." His bright blue eyes searched his farthers face then wondered off in another direction._

 _Taking a step into his home, looking around as if he'd just left this morning and was now coming back, he slowly headed towards the stairs, but hesitated at the bottom, scared at what he might find when he reached the top._

 _" Hiccup?" A female voice from behind spooked him, turning around to find not only heather by gobber in his door way, he didn't know how to approach them._

 _" Sorry to interrupt, I just thought you might want us to mind Stoick, so you can do this on your own." She gestured to the stairs, knowing what she meant, he nodded with a small smile of gratitude. He did was to go alone at first, he didn't know if he'd break down or lash out, either way he wanted to do it alone._

 _So he handed Stoick over to her and started to make his way up the stairs. So far so good, when he reached the top, the hall way was clean and untouched, and all doors were closed shut. He turned to his bedroom door that was a few steps from his room to the right, he chose that to be their bedroom cause it was the biggest, and he looked at the big wooden door._

 _He was afraid, to open that door was like understand what he had left his wife and mother to deal with. Landing his hand on the handle he left it there for a minute, before finally pushing the door forward._

 _It was like walking into another house as he entered his room, it didn't even look like his room anymore. The floor at first was covered in scraps of fur and bed sheets that looked to be ripped to shreds and thrown about on the floor. The bed was torn and slashed to pieces and the bed posted splintered in half, but yet he could still see the blood stains from where Astrid gave birth, of course it wasn't now a brown patch, but chunks were cut out of the bed._

 _He looked around, there was nothing worth saving in this room, everything would have to be thrown. And yet while trying to find something, anything that he could salvage he felt no overwhelming emotion._

 _But then, in the corner of his eye, just by the way the light hit it and reflected back in his eye that he saw it, on the floor amongst the scraps of sheets, lay his wife's rings, both perfect and fresh, lay there. And as he picked them up and held them in the palm of his hand, did he realises his vision was completely blurred as tears poured down his cheeks._

 _Landing on the floor resting his head against the bottom of his bed and still holding on to the rings. He never felt so weak and useless, he couldn't do anything but sit here so sad and pathetic, sobbing as he brought his knees up and resting his arms on them, burying his head in them and sobbing silently._

 _Looking at the rings in his hand, he never felt so hopeless, what kind of husband and farther was he, what kind of son was he._

 _He didn't notice his door open, heavy footsteps head his way and plonk down next to him._

 _" It's not yer wee fault laddie, yer can't blame yer self" he turned towards his mentor, a farther figure, his oldest friend._

 _" dad wouldn't have let this happen, he would have been a better chief" an arm came across his back, but only the plastic hand attached to gobbers arm could give out a cold touch as gobber tried his best to comfort the boy in front of him._

 _" Lad, I donna know what ya want me to say-" He shrugged his shoulders and continued " yer farther was not a perfect man, if he was, his wee wife wouldn't 'ave gone missin fer 20 years" the young cheifs eyes wandered up to meet much wiser ones, he always forgot about that, to him, his dad was the chief all men prayed to be, yet he couldn't hold his own family together, that was true._

 _Looking back on his wife's rings, he could help think if he was repeating history, what if Stoick never meets his mother till he's twenty, what if he never gets his wife back, or when he does what if she's not the same person. And his mother, he only just got her back, what if it took another twenty years still he saw her again._

 _All his life he wanted to be just like his dad, when he first became chief and he was killing himself night and day to be the best chief he could be, just like his dad, he remembered it was Astrid that showed him he was not his farther, that he was Hiccup and he would do things his way. But now all those traits his dad had, the ones that weren't perfect, looks like he had them too, looks like he got his wish, he was reliving his farthers failures._

 _" Hiccup? You are not your farther" the young man turned his head towards gobber, did he say that out loud._

 _" And we will fine yer wife, yer mother, ruff and snotty, we will find our people, all we 'ave to do is take our first lead" that was a reminder of what they set out to do when they left berserker island._

 _" Mole town?" He whispered._

 _" Ai Mole town"_

 _xx_

Stoick ran into gobbers work shop, running through people legs and tripping them under their own feet.

" oi!"

" Wee bugger"

Gobber watched as his future apprentice wreck the place and started chaos at the age of two, the little laddie reminded him of an apprentice he used to have.

Annnnddd, then came Astrid lugging that ridiculous bag over her shoulder, she still wasn't wearing proper armour just yet, she thought she'd be itching to get into her flight suit again, but when it came to it, she just could bring herself to wear it. Hiccup didn't push her though, left her to it, let her decide how much she wanted to take on in a day. And with these council sessions going on, she'd been making progress.

But even now as she ran into gobbers place throwing the bag on some near bench and grabbing Stoick hand, he could tell some things weren't as easy as others.

" Stoick! That is the third time you've ran off,"

" I sowry mommy" the little boy held the face of a new born dragon, all innocent and big eyes, he knew by just that look that he was going to get a free pass on this one.

" just- don't scare me again" huffing again she got up, already exhausted by the first half of her day.

" The laddie running you ragged eh?" Gobber finally spoke up walking towards Astrid and standing by near her.

" not kidding, the kid has no off button" the comment made the old man laugh, as the two watched as Stoick began to pick up speed again around the shop, running around the tables and past grump, who lazily ticked himself up in the farthest corner.

The boy continued to run around and around these tables, but someone entering the workshop, made him stop and beam delightfully. " daddy!"

Speeding past his mother and uncle Gob Gob, he ran straight into his farthers arms, who was already bent down to catch him. " hiya buddy, you are making it very hard for me to sneak up on mommy" that caught Astrid attention.

" Oh like you could sneak up on me?" She was not amused but still smirked as she looked at her husband.

" Can't blame a bloke for trying" shrugging he came up to her, wrapping his free arm around her waist.

" You two having a good day?" He asked the question but was mainly expecting an answer off his son.

" Yeah daddy, I say 'ello tooo the chicks, und yaks, und then the fishy's, und then 'title dwagons, und then big dwagons, und then the people. I say 'ello to all the ladies and men. Didn't I mommy" the boy spoke proudly of his day, including his mother to show what he had done.

" Yes you did" giving the boy a warm smile.

" Wowww, I'm sorry I missed that, that's a lot of people to say hello too, you sure you haven't missed anyone out" he questioned.

" Just uncle Gob Gob, Ello uncle Gob Gob" he gave a big wave over to the working man in the corner, who gladly waved back to him.

" So," Astrid spoke up, drawing attention to her," what gives us the pleasure to be greeted with your presence?" Asking her husband who she thought she would see till later on that night.

" Ahh well, I thought I'd have my lunch with you two if that's okay?" He knew he didn't need to ask that question, but he liked to involve Stoick in their conversations, get him interact with others as well.

" That okay daddy"

" ahhh good" pulling his wife with him, he headed to the exit, Stoick still wrapped up in his other arm. The three giggling together, it's nice, just the three of them, they had all missed this.

But happiness comes with a price, for the second they exited the workshop, spitlout, and his son was stood there waiting.

" Snotlout? Spitlout? What can I do for you? " his voice was stern and controlled, but he still cling onto his family as if his life depended on it.

" We've called an emergency meeting, now." Snotlout answered first, he too held a voice of control.

" It's important" spitlout added the last bit, that comment made hiccups arm slip from her waist, and once where it was warm, the cold air sent a chilling sensation there.

" Okay, I'll err I'll be there in just a sec" the two headed off and left their cheif to his family. They thought best to vacate the area, he was married to Astrid after all.

As he turned to his wife, looking her in the eye, words couldn't come out, he didn't know where to begin to apologise, but she saw it in his eyes, his gorgeous emerald green eyes, she saw how sorry he was.

" It's okay hiccup, I understand" she came up to him and lifted Stoick out of his arms into hers.

" I'm really sorry, I really wanted to have lunch with you, I promised-" he handed her Stoick, making sure she had him safely in her arms.

" It's okay-"

" why daddy goin?" The boy spoke up after watching his parents talk, it only made hiccup feel more guilty, he hadn't spent much time with Stoick since Astrid had came back, he had been giving them a lot of mummy and son time, but now was missing out on daddy and son time.

" I'm so sorry buddy, I promise I'll make it back so I can read you a story and tuck you in, I promise" the boy didn't answer back, he only held out his pinky finger, looking at his daddy and waiting for him to make the move.

Seeing the little finger with a smile hiccup took out his pinky and the took hook their pinky fingers together.

" I pinky promise" he said shaking it.

" You can't bweak pinky pwomises daddy, rwemember!" Nodding his head to his boy, placing a small kiss on his forehead.

" Yes I remember" he looked up to his wife for one last apology, her only reply was kissing his lips, and slowly whispering in his ear " you'll have to make it home in time to tuck me in bed too, pinky promise"

He left with a smirk on his face, an effect only Astrid could give him.

xx

She didn't feel it till Stoick yanked down on her braid, she had sat down in gobbers work shop ever since Hiccup had left, ten minutes ago. Resting her son on her lap, he yanked down on her braid to get her attention, he was bored, of course he was bored. She didn't feel like food any more, she just wanted to know what was going on with that meeting. It unnerved her.

" You Okay there lassie" goober inquired as he took off his works apron and came over to her and the little boy sat on her lap.

" Yeah just thinking." The older man didn't need to be told what was on her mind, she had been sat staring into space ever since her husband had to rush off.

" Why don't I take the laddie for some lunch, ya have other places to be" his head nodded in the direction that hiccup had left in.

" really?" She jumped up immediately, Stoick now clinging onto her side.

" Surree, I need some quality time with my nephew" as Astrid places Stoick on his feet, gobber instantly took his little hand.

" I just have this feeling that I should be there you know?"

" Yeah and since I'm not important enough to be invited to this meeting one of us should go, so come on laddie, lunch" taking slow steps towards the exit, letting Stoick lead the way.

" I'll see you after lunch Stoick, okay, bye" she waited to see if he would turn back, and just when she thought he wouldn't, he brought gobber to a halt and looked back at her.

" Okay! Bye bye mommy!" It was small. It was simple. But it was everything. And then she took off towards the small cabin on the far side of the village where the council had small meetings were held.

xx

The echoes of the roaring voice came through the wind as she took quiet steps towards the cabin. Something was going down, something to cause such a rioting, take even slower and small steps towards the cabin she found a spot just near the door where she could not be seen but still listen in.

" Eret! Are you sure?" It sounded like hiccup, his voice was a little shaken.

" Positive, scouts spotted them early this morning" Eret response to his chief was quick and firm, but there was a ping of guilt in his tone.

The room was then quiet, only a loud sigh from hiccup was heard, " Why now?" He spoke up, " they have been off our radar for weeks, why show up now?" He asked the question, but Astrid knew her husband she wasn't asking the others, he was asking himself.

" Getting their forces together? Getting another ship ready? Who knows, but they lost half their slaves that night, now they might want them back?" Spitlout responded to his cheif questions with the answers of a true warriors background.

" evil fuckers, I'm not going back" this voice was different, sounded like Snotlout, he was there too.

" You won't have too" again hiccup spoke up, " none of you will, over my dead body"

Listening to the grumbles of the other council men, Astrid edged closer.

" So how far are they from berks waters?" That nervous voice was definitely fishlegs, and the floor boards creaked under his weight, it only made Astrid more sure.

" scouts said it took them a two day journey on dragon back, so probably a few weeks away in boat, however what the scouts said was that they weren't heading Berk way." Reefs comment set the council into a questioning grumble yet again.

" Have we informed our allies yet? Hiccups voice spoke over the others.

" I did, as soon as Eret told me what was going on" fishlegs, still a nervous wreck.

" Eret? On this map, where abouts did the scouts see them?" He tapped on something, Astrid only assumed it was this map on the table she knew was in the middle of the room.

" There, heading to the southern markets they said" the southern markets, she knew that place, vile vicious place where men rapped women in the streets and sex slaves were sold out in the open. It was about four weeks in a boat.

" Okay, that gives us time then," hiccups mumbled under his breath.

" Time for what?" Eret spoke out.

" To prepare, gather as many people you can, anyone who can fight, or make weapons, make sure they are physically and mentally ready for this too" another round of grumbles in response, until hiccup spoke again.

"Snotlout?"

" I'm fine cheif, I guess I wasn't as mentally ruined by these people, you'll have to give ruffnut more time though, physical scars are healing, the metal ones are just taking a bit longer" he sighed at the end, ever since they'd got back, snot and ruff had been bunking up with each other, they were now officially engaged, they kinda had to be, just like errr and heather, since Hiccup knew about both of the couples late night activities, his only compromise for not banishing them was they become engaged. And due to the situation of war both couples agreed.

" Understood"

" what about Astrid cheif?" Tuff spoke up from the corner of the cabin, Astrids heart started to beat rapidly at the mention of her.

" No!" Hiccups voice went down another level, he only used that voice when I was being serious.

" She's your wife hic" Eret was next to pipe up.

" I know that. But she's not dealing with this well, she keeps saying she getting better, but she's in denial of her nightmares, she has them every night, once a night if we're lucky. I'm the one who has to comfort her, so I'm the one deciding to keep her in the dark, just till shes better" more grumbles around the room, agreeing with hiccup that this was not for a woman's ears, that she should just be a mother for now.

That pain inside was not disguised as disgust. How dare they! How dare he! She was not some fragile women, she was a shield maiden, a cheifs wife, she gave birth in the middle of a battle, and survived two years of torture. She was not some house wife that would stay in the dark.

So she stood her ground, took one step and stood in the door way blocking the incoming light and gaining the attention of some very surprised council men, can of course her husband.

The council men along with the chief decide the well being of Berk and it's people, they were well known, and highly respected. But as the young wife stood there staring at these high respected men, with disgust on her face and arms crossed, they all diverted their eyes downwards, not wanting to make eye contact with the blonde. Which only left hiccup, staring at her, a mixture of guilt and apologise in just one expression.

" Astrid? I -" he didn't get to finish, she was already walking away with a huge scowl on her face.

What was she gonna do? Yell? Scream? She wanted too, but she didn't have the energy, so she did the one thing she knew would get on hiccups nerves, she walked away.

But it didn't go as she thought it would, he ran after her, like they were teenagers again having a little spat.

" Astrid stop!" He yelled against the strong winds that howled around them, however his voice echoed and she stopped in her tracks, sending a viscous glare his way when she turned to look at him.

" Was that an order? Cheif!" Her eyes may be blue, but he could have sworn they were turning black with rage.

" If I say no will you storm away?" He edged closer but she held out her arm signaling him to not take another step.

" Hell Yeah" she snapped.

" And if I say yes?" His voice didn't sound as strong anymore.

" Then you'll be sleeping in the stables with toothless tonight, and it's a cold night" he rolled his eyes at her threat, though by the look in hers, she wasn't kidding.

" Oh come on Astrid, you've got to work with me here" again he edged closer and this time she nearly bites his head off.

" How dare you! How dare you speak of me like that! Like I'm nothing more than a stupid piece of paper, on your fucking council table!" She screamed against the winds, if it hadn't had been one of berks typical winters day, the whole island would have heard them two.

" Astrid it wasn't like that-" he tried to justify himself again, but she kept knocking him back.

" This is exactly what you said you wouldn't do, shut me out, keep me in the dark. We're supposed to be a married couple Hiccup, partners, best friends, each other's person, Astrid and hiccup? Does that mean nothing anymore?!" Her screams echoed through the wild winds, forcing the council men to come out of their cabin and observe over the two.

" Of course it does! It's means everything to me!" He edged closer and this time she didn't stop him.

" Then why does it feel like you're pushing me out?" She didn't yell this time, in fact she sounded quite hurt.

" It's not like that-" he moved closer, he was seconds from touching her, and yet felt like he was miles away.

" Then what?" She wanted his arms around her, and yet, wanted to punch him in the face at the same time.

" you don't think it's hard, watching you deal with everything every single day. You say you're fine, but I know your not. You have nightmares every night, sometimes twice." He took a pause, his breath shaking. He reached down and took her hands in his, when he looked up, his eyes were all watered up.

" I don't know how to make them stop. You're screaming my name, begging me to make them stop whatever they're doing, and I don't know how to make it stop." He squeezed her hands, keeping his face down to the ground, as tears dropped down his cheeks.

She knew what he was talking about, she remembered them dreams, nightmares, she remembered them all. She didn't know what else to do, didn't know what to say, the last thing she wanted was to admit that she wasn't dealing with all this well. But then one of Phlegma's phrases popped into her head.

' Mental scars are just like physical ones, for a deep scar like you have, you have to draw all the infection out, let it all out, and once its out, it can then begin to heal.' She'd been keeping all these memories locked in her own mind, it's like stitching up a wound while it's still infected, it'll just get worse and worse till it finally kills her.

" It was never just one man," she started, he pulled up and looked her dead in the eye, he was unreadable, but behind those adorable emerald green eyes, was pain.

" There was many," she sobbed before continuing, " I just wanted to feel safe again, and I felt safe whenever I was with you, so I'd cry out for you, hoping that one day you'd swoop in and rescue us." She didn't know she'd feel like this, but after she said it, after letting it out, it was like a weight lifting from her shoulders, as if she's was drowning and now she was finally finding her feet and walking in the deep end.

" I'm sorry" he pulled her into his arms, she felt the instant warmth off him as she drew her arms around him. " I'm sorry too baby, I was just scared I didn't know what to do" he kissed the side of her head as they both sobbed.

" there is nothing for you to be sorry about hic, you were right I was bottling up everything, you were right" he held her tightly, stroking the back of her head and letting her lean into the crook of his neck.

" shhhhhh"

Meanwhile the councilmen all stood there watching the two, watching as they fought and made up in the matter of minutes.

" How does he do that? I do that and ruff would shove a stick up my ass" Snotlout said in the middle of all this silence, Eret who stood next to him turned to the small man.

" Shut the fuck up snotlout"

xx

" and now this is the fun part" Gobber took the hot nail out of the burning fire pit, holding the red hot nail with long rod in one and and then holding the little hand that belonged to Stoick, over to a bucket of water.

As he placed the nail into the water a gust of steam submerged the air around them as condensation too place.

" Wowwww!" The boy stood in awe, as if he had just witnessed magic. " Gob Gob! It's clouds, white air, in ya shop" he giggled as he fooled the steam around them, the nail in the buck was still bubbling, however it was cooling down, and soon would be ready to take out.

By this time the entrance to gobbers workshop was blocked but Hiccup and Astrid, they stood there holding hands and watched from a far as gobber brought out the once burning nail from the bucket. Stoick stood there again in awe, it wasn't the first time he had witnessed something being made.

" And there ya go laddie, still a wee bit hot, however, ya first nail." He placed it into the little boys hand, and watched him gasp and he took hold of it with both tiny hands.

" Oh still warm, nice warm" he whispered to himself. While gobber stood up from crouching down and finally noticed the two blocking his door.

" Hiya chief! Wasn't expecting you back soon" at the mention on cheif stocks face lit up looking towards his parents, he shot over to them, tumbling over his own two feet.

" Look look! Look mommy!" He went straight to her, holding the nail up to her, " I made a nail mommy" she bent down to scoop him up in her arms, and resting him on her hip.

" Oh wow, you made that just now?" The boy nodded with the biggest grin as he held the nail close.

From behind the two, Hiccup appeared, pulling Astrid and Stoick into his embrace, " you making nails buddy?"

Before the boy answered gobber came up to the family of three, " ay, he did! Said he wanted to be like his daddy" the older man held a smirk on his face as he stared at his old apprentice.

" Aww buddy, you want to be like me?" When Stoick replied with a shy nod in his mother's neck, Hiccup felt a warm tingle in his stomach, the sense of pride lingering around.

" well the laddie didn't want lunch, said he wanted to wait for his mommy, so I took his back here, we did a bit of grafting."

" well we are heading for lunch now, you want some buddy?" Hiccup spoke, prodding his stomach.

" Mommy and daddy and me togever?" Astrid stroked the auburn hair behind his ear before nodding.

" yeah baby, all of us together"


	10. The spark that starts the flame

It was beautiful sun rise, the sky around was an ombre of cold blues that warmed up to a bright vibrant orange as the sun began to rise. This moment was just perfect, Hiccup couldn't remember the last time he just sat down as realised how perfect the moment was. But last time he wasn't sat on the hill top, breakfast picnic next to him, Astrid curled up next to him with her back leaning on his chest sighing happily and his best bud, playing with stormfly as Stoick ran after them like the wild child he was.

" Look, look" Stoick came stumbling over, nearly falling over his own feet. He ran straight into his parents arms sitting on top of them as all three watched the sun rise from the sea.

" here it comes daddy, watch mommy, it come out of sea, it been sleepin in the sea at night and now it come out." the three snuggled in together as the bright orange filled the space around them, toothless and stormfly lying next to their riders. As the sun came up, Stoick's little green eyes widened as the sky went from a cold blue to a vibrant warm orange, just the simplest thing made his day, the colours reflecting in his eyes, as his mouth opened slightly, watching as natures beauty presences itself.

Astrid's eyes however were latched onto Stoick, loving the way he sat between her and Hiccup's legs, his little legs spread wide, sat straight up and his eyes glued to the sun rise. She loved to watch his face as his eyebrows raised and his lips part as he watched in awe.

She turned to Hiccup, his eyes were on Stoick too, however when she moved a little, rubbing against his side he turned to look at her, giving her that goofy smile that brought her back to before they were married, before they were engaged, before he was chief. Back to when they were Hiccup and Astrid.

They will always be Hiccup and Astrid.

" Daddy?" they both turned to the voice that broke their stare and looked down to where Stoick now sat facing them.

" Yeah buddy?" Hiccup moved next to her, only to soon find his arm wrapped around her shoulders, immediately feeling the heat and warmth coming from him.

" daw me a picta pease?" he waddled closer, more on his knees, dropping to his hands occasionally, he came up to his fathers leather armour reaching to one of the hidden flaps where he knew his daddy kept his drawing note book would be.

" whoah!" Hiccups hands clasped over Stoick's tiny hands, moving them to the side so he can reach in and grab his note book. Unbuckling the leather straps, pulling out the book to Stoick's sight watching his little emerald green eyes brighten. Re-buckling the straps to his leather suit, he held his leather bounded book in his other hand, it wrapped together with thin brown laces.

" this what you looking for bud?" Stoick bounded over falling on to his farthers chest trying to grab the book from his grasp.

" okay, okay, calm down" sitting up with Stoick still sat on his chest, sliding down to his lap with his Hiccups hand wrapped around him.

" daw a picta, daw a picta" Hiccup opened the book, Astrid moving closer to the two, leaning on his husbands side.

" what should I draw?" unwrapping the laces and pulling out his charcoal pencil.

" sunwrise" his tiny stumpy finger pointing to the bright colourful sky that was the sunrise.

Placing his pencil on his page sketching out the out line of the ocean and the sun rising from the sea, shading in the ripples the reflection the sun left in the sea, and leaving a hazy mist from where the vibrant orange turned into the cool blue.

Stoick sat watching on from Hiccups lap, letting his farther take his little fingers in his and taking them along the page to help smudge in the lines to create shading, little giggles escaping from him as the tips of his fingers began to tickle when his finger was dragged along the page, or when Hiccup would take his smudged finger and drew on his small face, making him all dirty.

After a while, when Astrid stepped in being the 'responsible' parent and cleaning up Stoick's dirty face, Hiccup ripped a few pages from his book, handing Stoick those pages and his pencil and letting him wander a little far out, still in the eyesight of his parents with Toothless curled around him when he plopped down on the grass. The two still sat where they were, sun rise been and gone, watching as their little boy tried to draw Toothless from where he sat, pencil clutched in his hand and his tiny tongue sticking out at the corner.

" He's so like you" Astrid spoke out after having a few moments of silence to themselves. She felt his arm wrap more firmly around her as she was now lying on his chest.

" Hmmm, hopefully he grows into being more like you, strong minded, knows how to do everything right, knows where his path may take him, " she pulled from his arms, looking up at him.

" you really think i knew where i was going from the moment i learned to walk?" he shifted under her, his hands moving slightly but still not letting go.

" well you always wanted to be a shield maiden and thats what you became, the best at axe throwing, you're a general, you're amazing at battle strategy, you know who you are." his hands caressing her face moving the stray pieces of blonde hair that blocked her face from him.

" and you don't?" he shrugged at her.

" Hiccup-" she sat up properly, straddling his lap and letting his hands fall to her hips and stroking the tops on her thighs. " do you really think when i was Stoick's age that i knew i would be a dragon rider, that i would be teaching children how to train dragons, that i'd now be a mother myself. Or that i would fall in love with the craziest, most stubborn, idiotic viking i ever met in my entire life, never mind i'd marry him, marry the chief of all people. You really think i knew that was going to happen." he smirked, looking down to where his hands rubbed the sides of her hips.

" I hoped-" his eyes shot up towards her, looking at her as she smirked down at him.

" not when i was Stoick's age, but when we were teenagers and your farther started to suggest it, and we were becoming closer, i did hope." she leaned down and pecked his nose before raising back up, still sat perfectly on his lap, leg either side of him.

" you never told me that, " his hands moved slightly, just pulling her a little closer.

" ahh well, i did have a reputation to hold, its not like i could tell everyone that i had fallen for village fishbone now could i." teasing him as she watched his green eyes roll and him taking her in his arms, lifting her up and throwing her on the ground and climbing on top of her.

" oh really!" he landed on top of her, she laughed in his arms as her legs still stayed on either side of him, wrapped around his waist firmly while her hands found his head of hair.

He watched that smile of hers grow," well i might have married you not just because you are a fishbone, you are the chief after all" she winked at him and he couldn't hold in the laugh that came out.

" oh i see how it is, you married me for my title, well milady i now know where I stand." she didn't say anything else, just ran her fingers through his auburn hair, fiddling with the few braids she had placed there herself. He didn't want to stay in this position much longer, no matter how much he would have liked to, he didn't want to push his luck with his wife, after all she was still having nightmares.

So he picked her back up, lying back on his back again and letting her rest on top, however now she came down to his level, nuzzling her face in the crook of his neck. " no, I didn't fall in love with a chief, i fell in love with a boy, a boy who literally swept me of my feet and showed me a world that i was meant to be in. A world where vikings and dragons become friends and there is peace between the two species, i'm more me when i'm with Stormfly, when i'm on the back of a dragon, when i'm with you than i was when i was being told i had to be the best shield maiden in Berk. I have you to thank for that."

All he could do was smile, bringing his arms around her, gaining her heat from her body as she stole some of his to keep one another warm while the wind blew on the cliff top.

" This is such a perfect moment" he whispered, he heard her hum into his neck. " knowing my luck someone's about to come storming over and ruin it." he then heard her groan.

" uuhhhh, Hic don't ruin the moment." she kissed his neck with hundreds of little pecks.

" In about 5 -"

" Hic"

" 4-3"

" Hiccup!"

" 2 ..." she moved against him, making him look down towards her, and before he could say anymore she covered his mouth with hers, leaving a sweet linger when she pulled back.

" no one is ruining my moment with my husband" she kissed his again and of course he had no objections, he did not stop her as her hands found his hair again and her fingers scraped his skull, he allowed a moan to escape his mouth since he gained a little giggle from her, an extra bonus for him.

As their mouths collided, feeling the heat the two created, it brought the young chief back to before they were married, when he could feel the spark whenever their hand touched and they sneaked a make out session behind Gobbers workshop, they were lucky if they didn't get caught twice.

" Chief?!" that name was going to be the death of him. The two pulled apart and by the look on Astrid's face she heard it too.

" one" her groaned letting his head fall back onto the grass. But when he looked up he only saw the famous Astrid smile.

" what?" he didn't get an answer, just her, kissing him again, ignoring the distant calls of his name getting closer to where they were.

" Chief?! Chief?! Chie- oh, OH!" the sun was blocked by a figure as Hiccups second hand man himself climbed off a heavily armoured Skullcrusher, trying to avoided looking as the young couple locked lips.

" err chief?" Eret still stood awkwardly, looking in the direction where young Stoick sat drawing with Toothless wrapped around him protectively and Stormfly marching around them.

When he finally turned his gaze back to the chief and his wife, Astrid was no longer lay on top of him, she was now sat on his lap looking over her shoulder towards him.

" You, Son of Eret better have a good reason for ruin my personal time with my husband." her eyes narrowed as the larger man shifted where he stood.

" well, there are ships approaching Berks shores-" Hiccup sat up at this moment, Astrid still on his lap.

" Drago ?" his once happy and care free tone was now surrounded with worry.

" no chief, its Norbet the nut job, from the looks of it, it looks as if they have been attacked" Astrid turned back to Hiccup, he saw that look before, it was the exact same look she had given him when her water broke and their home was under attack, she was scared.

So he put on his work face, went into his role as chief and made an order, " stand down and let them in, they're our allies and we will support them just like they supported us."

He felt the back of his neck being rubbed, and a warm smile from his wife made him feel he had made the right decision, his eyes were still on Eret as he nodded at his order and jumped on the back of Skullcrusher.

" Ai chief, I'm on it." he buckled himself in but before he set off Hiccup got himself up with Astrid brushing herself off. " Eret wait!"

" get the people to put up healers tents we need all hands on deck, err get the great hall set up with hot food and warm drinks, and the children lets get reading sessions to distract them from all this, the kids will be distraught already, might as well cheer them up a bit."

" you got chief." Eret took off with skull crusher heading down off the cliff towards the village, leaving the Haddocks alone. Hiccup turned back to see Astrid picking up Stoick from where he was sat, Toothless and Stormfly bouncing around the two as she swung their son on her hip.

" you two going to be okay?" he came over grabbing her free hand with his, and with the other hand stroking his sons hair.

" we'll be fine won't we sweetie" she bounced him a little to perk him up. He looked up from the sheet of paper he held and turned to his farther, " yeah!"

" where you going dada?" his farther's fingers stroked the light auburn hair out of his blue eyes, he always hated saying good bye not knowing if he would be able to tuck his son into bed or kiss his wife good night, or if he'd come strolling in, in the morning being unable to keep his eyes open before he could say good morning to his family.

" i have to help some friends of mine, they're coming over and i need to help them" he saw the disappointment in his little face and he knew that it was his fault, he'd promised to spend the whole day with him.

"why daddy goin?" his bottom lip sobbed a little and he couldn't help but lift his tiny little body out from Astrid's grip and resting him on his hip.

" cause i have to buddy, what's this?" he pointed to the piece of paper Stoick held in his hands, the one he had ripped out of his sketch book. The boy fumbled with the page a little before he handed it to his farther, letting him unfold the page and look at his drawing. It wasn't perfect, but what do you expect from a toddler, the drawing was of toothless and stormfly, on a cliff with the sea at the bottom. It wasn't a perfect picture, but it was perfect to Hiccup.

" do like it daddy?"

" i love it buddy, is it okay if i keep this for today? I just love it so much " Stoick's smile widened as he nodded and Hiccup finally placed Stoick back in Astrid's arms again. And he put Stoick's drawing into a secret pocket, similar to the one his sketch book is in.

He turned to Astrid once Stoick was safely in her arms again, no words were said, they didn't need to be, he knew she was okay and that he'll see her later on, but before he left he couldn't help but kiss her, it was more needy than the previous kisses before when they were alone, she could feel it as he held on her waist and didn't let her go until the very last second.

" I'll see you later, yeah" she smiled and nodded kissing his cheek before sliding out of his hands and walking over to stormfly, she placed Stoick on the saddle first before climbing on gracefully herself.

He stood waiting till she looked back one last time before she took to the skies and was no longer in his sight, a coo next to him snapped him out of his gaze as he saw two big green eyes staring back at him.

" alright bud, lets get going."

xx

Eret landed in the middle of chaos, vikings weren't the best under pressure and with no one hearing from the chief, these so called warriors were panicking way to over the top.

" what do we do?"

" are our dragons safe?"

" what about the women and children"

" give me an axe and i'll tear down their ships with one hand and my eyes blindfolded"

" it's the gods, the god of lightning tell us what to do"

Eret climbed off Skullcrusher, he immediately saw familiar faces in his friends, ever since Heather went back to berserker island with her brother he had been hanging out with the crazy bunch.

" Eret, you godly of a man, have you heard from the chief?" tuff came over, breaking from the original chat the group was having before Eret came along. Before he even opened his mouth Snot lout came from behind the male twin with Ruff practically glued to his side.

" He's not even that godly, if anyone is godly it would be me, you know why? Cause i'm Mrs H's favourite, and that means I'm next in line after Hiccup" his smug smile was directed towards Eret, however Ruffnut was literally swept off her feet.

" Well technically," Fishlegs came peering out from the other side of Tuffnut, he had his nerdy look on his face, " now Hiccup has a son, if anything were to happen to him, Stoick would be chief-" he didn't get chance to finish his sentence when Snotlout interrupted abruptly.

" but he's two?"

" yes but, the law claims that the chiefs next of kin with take their place as chief if anything were to happen to Hiccup, Stoick would be chief however it would be probably Astrid who would take on the role till Stoick is of age-" he didn't continue any further, he could see by the look on their faces he was boring them.

" well that sucks, so, Eret the ex trapper, you heard anything from our beloved not to be seen chief."

Snapping back into reality after being completely invisible a few minutes ago Eret remembered his orders. " yes chief says welcome our allies, pop up some healers tents, open the main hall get hot food and drinks on, some entertainment for the kids too-" it was at this point Ruff questioned what was going on.

" why? What's happened?"

" our allies have been attacked, and we need to help them, so Fish your on healer duty, i know your no good with anything to do with blood so i'm leaving you to the organisation of it all, Tuff, well you're on entertainment, gather the kids together and set up some entertainment in the great hall, and you guys," he looked over to Snot and Ruff, the two had concern in their eyes," I don't want to push you, and neither does the chief, you've been through so much already so if you think you can help with food and drinks that would be great, however if any of you think you can help in the healers tents too that would e great as well."

The two nodded, still unsure of what to do, and as much as he would like to comfort his friends Eret had other places to be, his next stop was the group of council men, where Gobber and Valka were stood with them as well.

" hey look, maybe this one can tell us whats happening" he heard Gobber say as he came closer.

" Eret my dear can you tell us what's going on? Have you heard from Hiccup yet?" Valka spoke before Eret could get a word in.

" err yeah, It's Norbet and by the looks of their ships it seems the Hysterics Tribe has been attacked by Drago's forces. Hiccup has given orders to let them dock and set up healers tents to help those who are injured. He also suggested setting up some hot food and drinks in the great hall, and some volunteers to take the kids up to the great hall and distract them from all this, tuff is already up there getting the entertainment set up-" the council men all mumbled in agreement, some offered to go down to the dock to help set up the tents, some offered to go to the great hall and sort out food and drinks.

That left Gobber and Valka, " right, well i best follow that old git spitlout" Gobber started, hoisting his pants up as he spoke. " i'll help him and the others down at the docks." he stroked Valkas shoulders and patted Eret on the back before walking off towards the dock.

" what bout you Mrs H, i heard you have a talent with those hands of yours," he pointed to her hands however her face held a confused look.

" pardon?" his face was mortified when he realised what she was thinking. " oh no! I-I mean you'r-re a healer, aren't you?"

Her face soften and she answered with a small smile, " i used to be, i lived on my own for 20 years, self taught myself how to path someone up. But these past few years, stuck in those awful cages, i've healed to many wounds and I don't think its best that i go down to the healers tents, it'll bring back to many memories" her small smile turned into a sad smile, and Eret could only nod in agreement.

" of course,"

" I'll just go up to the main hall, help with Tuffnut and entertain the kiddies, i think thats where i'll be best" Eret smiled at the chiefs mother as he agreed with her doing what she thought is best.

" Alright Mrs H, see you later"

" you too darling"

And the two parted ways.

xx

" Mommy what's going on?" Astrid jumped off Stormfly and landed on the floor gracefully, Stormfly then crouched down further so Astrid could have better access of getting Stoick off. Grabbing him under his arms and hoisting him up and off Stormfly's saddle and onto her hip.

" well, one of our friends needs our help, so we are going to help them" she patted Stormfly's back for her to go off and started walking through the village.

" has daddy gone help fwends?" he played with her braid as she walked through the village heading towards the great hall where she knew she could put him while she helped the others.

" yeah both me and daddy are going to help our friends" as she got closer to the great hall she noticed Valka, helping a bunch of children towards the great hall.

" Val?!" she ran with Stoick sat on hip where Valka had now stopped with the other children for her daughter in-law to run over. " Astrid sweetheart, how can I help?" everything around them was manic, people running round, supplies in their hands heading towards the docks where the healing tents were set up. Astrid dodged the people with Stoick still in her arms, as the cool winter breeze blew harshly and she tried to keep the heat between them.

" Val you taking the kids up to the great hall?" she finally came to a stop just before the steps, she watched as Valka hushed the children towards the great hall and turned towards her.

" yes I am, me and Tuffnut will entertain the children while all this happening, i would help but i've healed to many wounds these past few years, I-i can't do it anymore, it brings up to many memories." Astrid nodded in agreement, she knew what Valka had done with past few years, trying to save lives and losing people right in front of her own eyes. But most of all she knew that Valka healed her wounds when the captain and his crew men would throw her in her cell and left her to bleed out with Valka rushing to stop the bleeding.

" Okay, well I'm going to help, would you mind taking Stoick with you?" she asked motioning to the boy still in her arms.

" well of course I can," making her way down the steps over to her grandson and taking him from his mothers arms, " hello sweetie" she placed a small kiss on the side of his head and looked down at the boy, his blue eyes shining up at her, he had his mothers eyes for sure. However other than that he looked just like Hiccup, his hair a little lighter maybe, but he was a spitting image of his farther, especially his nose and smile, that's what Valka saw in Stoick that resembled his farther the most.

" Hiya gamma!" he brought his little hands to her face, touching her cheeks as she leaned into his touch, " where mommy goin?" he turned to his mother who still stood there watching the two.

" Mommy is just going to help daddy with our friends who need our help and then i'll be right back promise" she moved closer so he could touch her cheek as well, letting him stroke her face as away of comforting himself.

" pwomise mommy be back? wread me a bed stowry? " he gave him a small smile as she looked into those small blue eyes.

" i promise both me and daddy will be back" she kissed his fingers then gave a look to Valka to tell her to go before Astrid could have the chance to change her mind and take Stoick with her.

She didn't move just yet, she watched him as he watched her over his grandmothers shoulder while Valka made her way into the great hall, waiting till the last second before he vanished into the great hall before making herself move, and heading towards the docks.

xx

He did always hate leaving his son, he didn't like it when he was on his own for two years cause he felt like he was abandoning him onto someone else, however now Astrid was back he should feel better but he hated leaving her too. As Toothless landed down softly by the docks he could tell why Eret was so on edge, everything was manic.

The healers tents had luckily all been put up but as the boats were coming into dock every viking and his dragon was running wild to sort everything out and as soon as he put his foot on the ground, he day had begun as he had already got gobber and spitelout coming up to him.

" oh chief there you are." Gobber came walking down to where him and Toothless had just landed.

" so what's the plan?" Spitelout spoke up.

" the plan is to eventually get everyone in the great hall, for now get the injured in the healers tents, get as many people stable and up to the great hall, try and get families reunited there and then we can go from there, anyone seen Norbet? As chief i think i should see to him." the young chief took another look around before looking at the older council men.

" there!" Gobber pointed to the ship just docking," that's Norbets ship, he'd be on there if anything" his old mentor patted him on his arm.

" thanks, right help as many people as you can and get them to the great hall where they can reunite with their families, anyone who is not injured or children get them to the great hall too for entertainment and distraction, hot food and drinks as well." the two council men nodded in agreement before running to two separate tents.

Hiccup on the other hand headed towards the docks as the chief of the Hysteric's tribe boat docked on his island. Walking down the wooden planks to where people were off loading the boat, he noticed many council men from previous council meeting for the alliance, he gave then nods, made it clear that there was food and drinks in the great hall and for those that were injured, the healers tents were just up the hill.

He noticed Norbets son, Starkard the psychotic, hence the name why Hiccup kept his distance, he was the eldest out of Norbets three children, his wife had died after his third and final child was born. After Starkard there was Nadia the nutcase his daughter, she was known for her beauty and had married a wealthy man across the seas, however she fell pregnant and unfortunately died in childbirth. Norbet always makes the comment of how Astrid reminds him of her. then finally his youngest, a boy, Willard the whack-job he was only 14, whereas his sister would have been 22 and his older brother is 28. As you can tell Willard came as a shock to the Hysterics tribe.

As Hiccup walked up to the boat he could see the two boys holding up their farther under his arms and around their shoulders, he immediately jumped in to see if he was of any help, " Norbet you alright?" as he got closer he could see the injury he must have got from battle, an arrow through his left shoulder, it was coming out the other end, a clean shot. There wasn't;t much blood to be honest but a wound like that could get infected.

" oh hush boy, don't ye worry, these two wee idiots have been flustering over wee nothin, do nay tell me you're gonna do the same" he took his arms from his boys and walked off the boat with ease, Hiccup on his heels.

" what happened?" he asked, of course it was a stupid question he knew what had happened but it was the only think he could think of at the moment in time.

" well the wee bastard took a shot at me, do nay worry wee iccup, you should see the other guy." thats when Willard stepped in from behind, the teenager full of spark and energy.

" you should have seen it, he took his head off with his bare hands, it was awesome" in that moment his farther shot him a glare and Willard remembered his place. " chief" he quickly added on the end of his sentence and his farther happily nodded.

" don't worry about titles here Will, just call me Hiccup please." the four walked up to the healers tents and Hiccup guided him into the one where Gothi was stationed.

" well look here, a wee little old lady," he eared himself a whack onthe head as Gothi brought down her stick on him, he would have yelled too however Hiccup was quick to intervene.

" err this is Gothi, she is head healer, n-not to mention our elder, please show her the respect you would your elder. And also she is mute, so he won't really answer back, but she can still hear" the chief and his sons nodded, Norbet taking his seat on the pop up bed, he knew he had no power over the hooligan tribes elder, he would have to so the same respect to her as he would do his own.

" i honestly do nay know the fuss over a wee arrow, my people need more assistance than wee little me" he gestured to the arrow in his sholder but Gothi held her finger up and he immediately shut up, Willard sniggering quietly.

" it doesn't matter Norbet, you have an injury, get it healed and then head up to the great hall for some food and drinks, you two" he gestured to his two sons, one much younger than him, the other a little older, " you guys should do the same, go get some food and fuel up, us berkians have got it from here" the two immediately looked to their farther, their chief and only moved when he gave them a nodded.

Once they had headed out Hiccup waited to see if norbet was fine on his own before he left too, to see where his assistance was needed.

xx

Astrid made her way down to the healers tents, there were so many she didn't know which one to go to, all she could see was blood, so much blood she could see now why Valka had decided to stay back up top. Viking with arrows sticking out of so many places, she was passing tents so quickly she nearly missed her name being called.

" Astrid!" she turned to see mila in a open tent, Mila's hands was on a womans abdomen as she was bleeding our from an arrow piercing.

" oh my gods," she walked into the tent looking down on the two, " what happened?"

" none of that now, i need you down here holding this arrow in place just like I"m doing," she knelt down on the opposite side of Mila, her hands hovering over hers. " o-okay, w-what do I do?"

" place your hands where mine are, we are going to swap places, you are then going to hold the arrow in place and plug the blood from flowing out. I am then going to cut out the arrow and then hopefully stitch her up without any more blood loss okay?" Astrid shook her head as her now hovering hands began to shake.

Bt Mila had not time for this, " Okay, now switch" it was like instinct as soon as Mila let go of the wound Astrid found her hands plugging it in and stopping the blood flow from escaping.

" You're going great Astrid honey, i'm just sanitising this knife and needle, i'll be with you in one sec." To be honest Astrid wasn't paying attention to Mila's words, just on her hands and making sure they didn't move.

However when the body underneath her began to move it became harder to hold her hands still, " errr Mila, she is beginning to wake up" the woman groan beneath her as Mila stayed calm in the corner, " it's fine, the pain should knock her back out again"

Astrid watched as the woman below began to toss and turn a little, she was a little older than her, early thirties to mid thirties if that, her hair was darl raven black, like Heathers but shorter, and her skin a pale colour, however Astrid couldn't tell if that was to do with the amount of blood she was losing with all this moving.

" shhhh, shhhh, you have to stop moving, you have to" she tried to calm her but the women kept trying to say something.

" i - i - I h-h h-have t-t-oo f-f-ind he- h-h ave t-to f-find-d" the words were just slipping out and not coming out in full sentences.

" have to find who?" Astrid pushed, sill firmly holding down the wound.

" f-f-fin-n-nd-d-" and the she was gone, well not gone, but the pain must have knocked her out as he body stopped moving but she still kept breathing.

" see what did i tell you" by this point mila was back with a sanitised knife and needle, but Astrid's mind was on the lady she held her hands over, wondering who she wanted to find and also bringing back horrid memories of the time she helped patch up a certain little patients arm.

xx

 _( 2 years ago)_

 _It was another quiet day, unlike this morning where they worked and worked till they couldn't even walk, they now were back in their cells, they usually get put back on their cells when the ship docks at another island._

 _" where do you think we are now?" Ruffnuts voice echoed_ _throughout the few cells, she was picking one of the holes in her leggings at the time._

 _" who knows, who cares" Astrid replied, flipping to her side trying to get comfy on the cold stone like floor. She had lost the will to live anymore, it had been weeks, and nothing was heard from Hiccup, she knew he was trying to find her, she knew. But the damage had already been done and what those men had done to her could never be taken back._

 _She just wanted him to come for her, wanted him to come and take her home, to a warm bed with warm food and his arms to take her in his. She wanted to see her son, no doubt had he probably grown since his birth, but not by much, he was Hiccups son after all._

 _The large steel door opened snapping everyone out of their trances as a guard cam in holding a vary unusual prisoner, a small girl with caramel brown hair tied in plaits and her hands and feet chained up. She looked no older than a 5 year old, so small and young. Her cell door opened and she was threw in harshly, he whimpers was only shut down by the guard that threw her._

 _" shut it you little cunt" he locked the door and left through the steel door he once entered in, no one made a move till the door shut, Astrid immediately making sure her new cell mate was alright._

 _" hey, you okay little one" the little girl_ _immediately scurried away from her into the nearest corner of the cell, Astrid couldn't blame her, she was no older than five and scared, scared out of her mind._

 _" it's okay, i - I'm Astrid, what's your name little one?" the girl looked up from her cut on her left arm and looked up to her, her green eyes catching the light, she sort of reminded her of Hiccup if it hadn't have been from her caramel brown hair and the fact she was a girl. Astrid could only smile at the girl trying to make her feel welcome in the shabby, nasty cell they were currently in._

 _" err, I - my name is Kari" a small tear left her eye falling down one side of her soft cheek. Astrid slowly leant forward, making sure she didn't scare her too much, and wiped it away._

 _" well hello Kari, now that we have fully been introduced would you allow me to help with that nasty cut on your arm, please?" she motioned to the cut on her left arm, it looked deep from where she was sat, but at least the blood was still red and not turning black, thats when the infection starts kicking in. The girl nodded, holding her arm out towards her._

 _Astrid_ _immediately took her small arm in her hands, taking a soft approach looking at the cut properly, from the looks of things it wasn't too back, not infected and not as deep as Astrid thought._

 _" well good news Kari, it's not that deep and we can have it cleaned up and all sorted." she ripped the bottom of her shirt and started to dab away the blood and clean it all up._

 _" you wanna tell me what you are doing here?" the girl didn't answer_ _straight away, she kept wincing every time her cut began to sting, after it started to calm down and the bleeding began to stop she finally looked up to Astrid._

 _" the nasty men wanted to speak to my mommy and grandpa, they hurt my arm when i started to cry for them" she watched Astrid as she bandaged up her sore arm with a piece of rag she had previously ripped from her rugged top._

 _" and what does the nasty men want with your mommy and grandpa?" she was carful with the knot, carful she didn't tie it to tight._

 _" m-my grandpa a great chief. A chief of the Wilderwestern tribe." now it made sense, she was royal blood, and that meant she was worth something to Drago and if not she was at least leverage for her mother and grandfather._

 _" I see, well don't you worry i'm sure your mommy and grandpa will sort everything out for you and you'll be out of here in no time" once finished and moved next to her and sat beside Kari, back leaning against the bars of her cell._

 _" okay, why are you here?" she held her arm close looking up to Astrid._

 _" ahh well, my Husband is a chief, and they are keeping me and my friends here because of that" she caught the looks off the others at the mention of her husband it had been three months now, the marks on the wall confirmed it. They didn't even speak much of those six weeks they had spent on bone island, since then they had spent the rest of the days on the ship, working ridiculous hours._

 _" your husband is a chief too!" her voice had suddenly changed from quiet to exciting._

 _" yes"_

 _" my mommy always said i'd marry a handsome chief one day, and live happily ever after" Astrid could only smile and laugh at the little girls imagination of a happily ever after, when she was Kari's age she had never in her wildest dreams thought she'd marry a chief never mind Hiccup Haddock._

 _" well maybe one day you will," she stroked the little girls hair, it was all tangled and knotted from before, but she still had a bright smile on her face as she looked up at her._

 _" is he a handsome chief? " her grin grew wider and Astrid couldn't help but laugh, " ha, well yeah he is handsome, as vikings go anyway. He has a mop head of thick auburn hair that i love to tie braids in and he had bright emerald eyes too, just like yours however yours are more forest green. He's not the_ _bulkiest in the village-" she heard snotlout snigger but he soon shut up when she shot daggers with her eyes, " but i'm not into all that stuff. However between us girls he has quite a bit of muscle from all the forge work he does, and all the dragon riding-" the atmosphere in that cell suddenly changed, Kari practically jumped from one end to the other._

 _" He rides dragons?!" he voice was full of excitement and awe._

 _" yes he does, in fact we all do" she gestured to all the others in the cells, snotlout and ruffnut giving a quick wave over to them and valka gave her a quick smile._

 _" oh wow!" she couldn't stop staring at them all, she was completely in awe with them all._

 _" oh oh oh! i know who you are now, my grandpa told me that there was an island where the chief and his people would ride dragons. My grandad told me that the chief and had a baby bot not long ago, i love babies" Astrids smile soon faulted, her mind was suddenly was brought back to that baby boy she held in her arms for only a few minutes and that baby boy who she had not seen since that day. A few tears fell from her eyelids and down her cheeks._

 _" oh no, why are you crying?" Kari walked over and crouched down next to her, while Astrid continued to wipe away the tears that fell._

 _" oh, erm nothing, it's just, err that was my baby, and i've not seen him in a long time that's all." she soon felt Kari's small hand stroke her cheek._

 _" I'm sorry, i'm sure you will see your baby soon" Astrid could only smile at the girls innocence._

 _" yeah-" before the conversation could continue the large metal door opened and the pirate crew member entered with the captain not far behind, they didn't say anything till they were all in the cell room, and the captain walked up to the cell Astrid and Kari was in and pointed to one of the girls._

 _" grab her, Drago wants her for leverage" his big thick nasty finger was pointed at Kari as the little girls eyes widened with horror. Astrid knew what this meant if it was for leverage that means they were going to torture her for her grandfathers co operation. She immediately got up from where she sat and stood in front of the child as the cell doors opened._

 _" Move blonde or we'll break more than your legs" she knew this man, she knew his eyes and and his words, she knew his hands and fingers. His vile hands and fingers. She knew this man and she knew what he would do to her if she didn't move but she also knew what he would do to this little girl if she did._

 _" no" his dirty smile changed to a dark horrid look. And as he took a step closer towards her Astrid made a move that closed her fate, she punched him right on in the mouth, and when he fell to the floor she kicked and kicked and kicked till the pirates pulled her away, it was only when the captain stood up and wiped the blood from his mouth and nose, and his dark eyes stared at her._

 _" take her to the cold room, i need to have a little word with the blonde chiefs wife, show her where she stands on this ship-" he took a step closer and whispered in her ear, his words sent shivers down her spin, cold and harsh._

 _" under me"_

xx

Astrid shivered at the memory, but focused on the fact her hands were holding a woman's wound shut, and she sat quietly as Mila stitched up the unconscious woman.

Meanwhile Hiccup was walking round camp, Toothless glued to his side, he did his rounds, making sure everyone on his island was being taken care of and those who were not in need of medical attention were sent off to the great hall and were welcomed with hot food and drinks.

He noticed a few kids hanging around the healers tents, he knew they weren't from Berk he knew every child that was born on Berk, it was his job to know.

" hey kids," the boys and girls turned to see who called them, noticing it was the chief with a dragon by his side the children came to a quick silence. " why don't you guys head up to the great hall, there are lots of your people already there and we have set up food and drinks for you and entertainment too" the kids didn't argue, staring at the green eyed dragon next to him.

As they walked off towards the great hall a few stared back at Toothless, the big cat like dragon could only look at his rider as the two shared a little giggle between them. " looks like your the star of the show today Toothless, everyone seems to be looking at you."

They turned to walk back around camp when a small sound from the bushes made them look, Toothless immediately took to defence, growling at said bush and Hiccup grabbing for his inferno sword and setting it alight, but the small scream coming from that bush made the two drop their defences and took a more slow and calm approach. So as he turned off his sword and put it back in his suit, him and a now calm Toothless took slow small steps towards the bush.

" Hello?" Hiccup edged closer towards towards the green shrub, signalling towards Toothless to take a few steps back.

" Hello? Who's there?" He pulled the shrub back to reveal a small girl, she had dark hair, tied in a back plait and had her knees up to her chest, crying into her knees behind a small bush.

" hey, you okay little girl?" he moved closer, Toothless still stayed behind. " what's your name?" she said nothing, only moved her knees closer to her chest.

" My name is Hiccup, can you tell me yours" he sat down next to her but she still had her head in her knees, but then he thought of a better approach, she was a little girl, looked about the age of 7 and the best way to get children to talk is to distract them from whatever is upsetting them.

" hey!" his sudden tone of voice changed and her reaction shifted, he saw her eyes pop up, she had dark brown eyes. " wanna see something cool," he reached into the side pocket of his leather suit and pulled out the picture from this morning. Before showing it to the girl he unfolded the page and looked down at his sons picture, the one where he drew Toothless and Stormfly on the cliff side this morning.

" look at this," he handed the paper over, waiting for her to take it out of his hand.

She looked up from her knees, her dark brown eyes matching her hair, she watched the piece of paper in his hand blow as the icy wind blew it back and forth. She reached forward, taking the paper out of Hiccups hand and looking down at the drawing.

" my son did that this morning, he really likes to draw, just like I do" the girl didn't say much, she just dragged her finger along the charcoal drawing.

" he's not very good at drawing" he heard her say, he could only laugh at the comment though.

" yeah, well he is two" he giggled, and this time she giggled with him, he found that progress. " his name is Stoick, my wife named him after my farther, can you tell me what your name is?" the little girl turned her head to him, looking back down at the picture before turning back to Hiccup.

" my name is Pru" and there it was.

" well Pru, now we have officially been introduced you think you can tell me why you're crying behind a bush." he stood up while he spoke, holding his hand out towards her to help her up, she took his hand and stood up straight, wiping her tears from under eyes.

" i lost my mommy" her eyes started to fill up again, as she brought the sleeve on her arm up to her eyes to rub them away, " she was hurt and now I can't find her, we got separated on different boats coming here"

He bent down in front of her, watching as she tried to rub away her falling tears, he reached for her hand, taking it in his and stroked it, " hey, it's okay to be sad, but instead of sitting here and being sad, how about me, you and a friend of mine go find her, yeah?" she smiled and nodded, keeping hold off his hand as he stood up and took her from out of the bush she was hiding behind.

And when she finally came out of the green shrubs she finally came face to face with Toothless, who had sat patiently waiting for his rider to come out, " woah!" Toothless sat tall, looking down at the small child with his big green eyes, he gave her a fresh gummy smile, making her smile turn into a giggle.

" oh wow, oh wow, a nightfury! My mommy always used to tell me stories of a night fury, how they were black as night, and had the eyes of a demon and -" before she finished Toothless sneezed, rubbing his nose with his giant paw making the dark haired girl giggle.

" And very funny" he gave her a gummy smile before sticking out his tongue a little.

" yeah Toothess here is a big softy," he came over to him, and toothless immediately started to bound around, acting all playful as Hiccup started play fighting with him. " aren't you bud, aren't you," it got to the point where they were no longer playing but Toothless just licking his to death.

" okay, okay, OKAY! Toothless you know that doesn't wash out. " behind him Pru just laughed and giggled, the beam on her face looked so much better than the tears she had not moments before.

He'd always wanted a girl, from the moment Astrid had told him she was pregnant with Stoick, he had prayed that the baby was healthy, and the birth was safe-ish, but secretly when ever Astrid had asked what he had wanted and he said he was happy with either, he secretly wanted a girl. But he adored Stoick, saw little traits in him from when he was a boy, but in the future he had hoped him and Astrid could have more children and he hoped one would be a girl, so he could see traits of Astrid in her, and so he can do daddy daughter things together.

" come on Pru, lets go find your mom," he held out his hand and Pru took it, walking her through the camp with Toothless by her side.

She didn't feel alone anymore.

xx

The wound was all healed up but even though Mila told her it was okay to take her hands off it, " Astrid, its find, she is all stitched up you don't have to worry" all Astrid could think of though is if she let go this woman could bleed out on her like the time before, and the time before that, and the time before that, the list was endless.

" Astrid?" Mila's hands came over hers, her soothing hands slowly lifted them off the ladies wound to reveal it all stitched up nicely and not a drop of blood to be seen, unless you count the stained blood on her hands from before.

" see, she's fine" nodding her head Mila finally decided to let go of her hand, and as on queue the lady beneath them started to stir awake.

" Hello can you hear me?" Mila said clicking her fingers at the side of her ears, when the lady slowly nodded, Mila smiled.

" you're gonna be fine, can you tell me your name please" she had gotten up but was still in earshot, she was cleaning up the space for the next person to come in.

" my name, my name is Phyla, i have a daughter, i have to find my daughter," she tried to sit up but the stitches forced her down again, " don't move you've had stitches back and front" Astrid pushed her shoulders down back on the bed, while Mila was still cleaning up the space around them.

" but my daughter?" she tired again but with her stitched up wound she was too tired to get up.

" it's fine, i'm sure your daughter is fine, I promise, she is probably in the great hall right now having hot food and drinks. Everything is fine, you just rest okay." she took a wet cloth while she spoke, placing it over Phyla's head while she lay down.

xx

" Astrid is a very pretty name" Pru was now currently in Hiccups arms as he currently carried her around camp, after searching back and forth throughout the camp, Pru started to complain of her legs aching. So while she sat on his hip and he walked around camp the two got into conversation about how Hiccup had first met Toothless, which then led to him talking about Astrid and since the girl on his hip was a hopeless romantic, she didn't want to stop talking about him and his wife.

" yes it is a pretty name, it means divine beauty and I couldn't agree more, she sure is a divine beauty." the girl was looking at his small braids in his hair as he spoke, he recently told her that it was Astrid who put them in his hair, it was her way of showing every viking lady that he was marked, that he was hers.

" are you in love with her Hiccup?" the question kinda put him off guard, of course he was in love with her, they had been married for years now, but this girl didn't know that, he guessed it was a weird question to ask since no one had questioned his love for Astrid, not even when they wee kids.

" of course I am, i've been in love with her since i was your age, and i'm so lucky to have married her"

" how long have you been married?" she asked eagerly.

" oh gods, just over four years now, five in the summer" the girl looked in awe, to be honest Hiccup was in awe with himself, he hadn't realised how long they had been married for until he had said it out loud.

" best years of my life" he started, but then stopped and slowly whispered out of Pru's earshot, " even if two of those years were spent apart"

" and now you have a baby?" she was obviously referring to Stoick as the baby, he nodded at her as they turned the corner and came a cross another row of healers tents, the last row, if she was not here then the last option would have to be the great hall.

" yes we have a son, but he is no baby now, he's just turned two and -" he went to continue how he was a little nightmare at times, just like he was at his age, but the girl in his arms gasped, and without warning jumped out of his arms and started running straight forward screaming a name.

"Mommy!"

xx

"Mommy!"

Astrid heard a little voice scream in the distance, since Mila had left a few minutes ago to check on other patients, Astrid had kindly offered to watch over Phyla while she lay healing, so when hearing the screams of a child she turned to see what was going on.

She saw the child, young, dark haired, running towards the tent, and Phyla as she pushed herself up from the bed and excepted the child in her open arms as the young girl literally jumped in them.

" oh Pru!" she watched Phyla kiss her daughters head, stroking her hair, loving each other while they hold one another.

Astrid couldn't help but smile as mother and daughter hugged each other, it reminded her when she had reunited with Stoick, that day would always be in her memory.

While watching the two Astrid wasn't focusing what she was doing, and hearing a crash next to her nearly frightened her to death, but it was only a pot full of medical herbs now crashed and scattered on the floor. " damn it!" she cursed under her breath as she knelt down to try and salvage what was left of the medical herds.

Meanwhile Hiccup entered the tent, seeing the sight of Pru reunited with her mother, it brought a smile to his face. He was just glad that she had found her mother, alive and well.

" i told you, you would find her" he said as the two pulled apart from their embrace when he spoke and watched as he came up to the bed, Toothless tailing his every move.

" thank you Hiccup," she gifted him with a smile first before turning back to her mother, " mommy this is my friend Hiccup, he helped me find you mommy, and guess what, he is a dragon rider, a dragon rider of a nightfury" again she said it with such awe, as her mother smiled at her, stroking her hair with such love.

" Sweetheart this is no dragon rider, he is the chief of this island, the chief of Berk." her mother only smiled just like Hiccup did, however Pru held a shocked expression on her face, like she had disrespected the gods or something.

" I'm sorry chief,"

" don't be sorry Pru, I didn't tell you i'm chief cause I didn't want you to know, you are my friend and i wish you could call me Hiccup, please." he said stroking the back of her head.

" but my mommy always said to call a chief by his title" Hiccup sat on the bed beside the two and Toothless popping his head between them.

" well that is true, but as i am chief i am asking for you to call me Hiccup, just as my friends do. " and as Hiccup said this, Toothless gave her a big gummy smile, sticking his tongue out, making both mother and daughter laugh.

" okay Hiccup" in the corner of his eye he saw something move, looking over his shoulder he saw what looked to be his wife, and when she turned around, holding the scattered herbs in her hand, he was greeted with her loving smile.

" Hiccup" she placed the herbs down while he got off the bed, they met half way and greeted each other half way with a hug. She basically jumped into his arms, letting his wrap his around her waist while she clung onto his neck.

" i missed you," she whispered into his ear, nuzzling her face deep into his auburn hair, he couldn't help but smile as he took in her scent, breathing her in.

" i know the feeling," he pulled her back, smile on his lips but when he saw the red on her hands and his smile soon turned into concern, taking her hands in his, caressing them as if they were hurt.

" what happened?" he couldn't help if he worried it was his job to worry.

" I'm fine," she signed, " it's not my blood" he kissed her hands anyway, and she could only smile at the small but sweet gesture.

Before anymore words could be spoke, Phyla herself had something to say, " but it is mine," the two looked at her, as she now sat tall, with Pru sat by her side.

" your wife, chief, she saved my life." with a humble smile Astrid looked between her and Hiccup, " oh don't be ridiculous, it was Mila who saved your life, I-" she looked up at Hiccup at this point, he only smiled at her, but that smile was a smile he wore whenever he was proud.

"- i only helped" she smiled back, deep down Hiccup knew this was a big step for her, and deep down so did she.

" well you helped save my life, and for that i thank you" Astrid broke away from her husband, coming over to where Phyla sat, and reached out to take her hand.

" no thanks is necessary" Hiccup came up behind her, arm instantly wrapped around her waist. When he did Phyla turned her attention onto him.

" and you, you helped my daughter, thank you chief" but Hiccup was a humble as Astrid, he only brushed it off, " it was not problem madam, i would have wanted someone to do the same for my son, plus you are on my island, that means you are my responsibility."

xx

It was becoming dark, as sunset approached many had made their way to the great hall, those who were injured were now sat in the great hall probably having a nice warm meal and sitting with their families. Those who were seriously injured were now sleeping in the healers huts, with Gothi and Mila and the other healers on stand by for their every need.

Those that were not so lucky had a proper viking funeral, the ships had set said not long before, the fires still burned in the distance as the sun set and the orange tinge burned brighter. The wind blew more viciously now and colder and as the sun began to set and the moon began to glow the wind brought dark and gloomy clouds with it making night come quicker than usual.

Hiccup and Astrid walked side by side, Stormfly and Toothless bouncing around together not far from their owners. They had made it their last duty before heading for dinner to walk through camp and make sure everything was packed away.

" you did well today" Hiccup said, as they walked through the last bit of the tents being packed up, they had given waves to a few vikings along the way, as they had stayed to pack up the remaining tents.

They hadn't really spoken much when walking around the existing camp, however their time had been filled with helping the others, it was only now they had time together, alone, as night falls.

" I did?" she questioned her ability to handle today's horrors, but before he had chance to answer, she slipped her fingers into his, squeezing his hand with hers.

" of course, you handled yourself very well." he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

" yeah well, i was just helping out" she whispered, not wanting to draw much attention to it.

" what's wrong?" but of course Hiccup knew her, and knew that there was something wrong with her. But it was nothing, just a memory, but by the looks on her face and how she was feeling, she kinda guessed it was a little more than just a memory, and Hiccup knew that.

" it's nothing, really. Just a memory that surfaced up when i was helping heal Phyla" the lights from the great hall was coming through the freezing fog. They could hear the voices of the rest of the village roaring out of the half open door, making their way towards the steps that led up towards the hall, Hiccup took her hand and pulled her to a halt just before them.

" what memory?" he had that worried/concerned look on his face, it was no secret what she had been through these past few years, he knew everything, well most things she had never gone into detail or how she felt about any of it, but he knew the facts and he knew the physical effects, but the mental affects they weren't quiet there yet.

" it wasn't a bad memory Hic, it wasn't exactly a good memory either, but it wasn't bad," she brought her free hand up to the side of his head, stroking her fingers through it thick auburn hair and around his ear.

" I wasn't bad, I promise" she leaned in closer and kissed his cheek, her lips was warm and plush on his cold cheek, she could feel the freeze strike her lips but that didn't stop her from nuzzling her face into the side her his neck and jaw. It was like two feelings of cold, one from his skin the other from his leather, he would soon have to start to where his woollen clothes and his fur cloak. They all would, as the winter months rolled in, the frost would as well and with frost comes ice, snow and the near freezing to death every time you step outside.

" okay, okay i believe you, but you have to tell me if you have nightmare or a panic attack or anything, because i need to know, so i can help you, okay?" she felt him wrap his arms around her, pulling her in closer, nodding her head against him.

" you have to tell me if it's getting worse" she nodded again, but now was her chance, the chance to tell him what has been on her mind this past week, she looked up at him, her eyes immediately locking with his.

" i'm fine Hiccup, i think i might be getting better even," they pulled a part a little, Hiccups hands still on her arms, rubbing his thumbs on her forearms.

" which is why i wanted to talk to you about getting my job back at the academy, you know training the younger generation of dragon riders, train kids how to fight. I need to do something with my day, I -i need to get out the house and when Stoick is in nursing classes with Fishlegs, i just need to do something, i feel like i'm loosing my mind,"

" I agree"

" i feel - wait what?" her face was confused, she expected him to be overprotective, tell her that she need time before jumping into something so active and stressful. She did not expect him to be smirking down at her, that sexy smile she loved so much.

" i said I agree, you need to get back out there and feel like your part of something, you can't spend your whole day looking after Stoick, waiting for him to finish his nursing class, it's not fair on you" he said it with a smile like it had been on his mind for a while, like he was expecting it.

She still looked confused, but that didn't stop her for agreeing with him, "yeah, yeah exactly"

And that's when he started to laugh, and that didn't help her confused little head, " Astrid, you didn't think i was gonna keep you lock in our house for the rest of the day did you?" he began to laugh more, and she just snapped punching his arm and shoulder repeatedly, he only stopped laughing when it started to hurt.

" okay, ow, I'm sorry, ow, ow, ow, hey-hey! I'm sorry" she finally stopped, and he was standing there, looking down at her, and the way he was looking at her she wasn't sure what he was wanting.

" what?" she asked.

" don't i get a kiss now" re rubbed the back of his neck but she smirked at him and then punched him in the chest when he wasn't expecting it.

" you cheek bastard, no, you do not get a kiss, not after that snarky remark anyway," she kept slapping his arm, but after a while she grabbed her legs and lifted her up for her to wrap her legs around his waist as he hoisted her up, and balanced her weight on his.

" Hiccup, put me down!" she squealed when he began to spin her around, squeezing her bum just slightly.

" Hiccup!"

" i'm not putting you down till i get that kiss" he knew he was being a tease, and he could see it was getting to her, but in a good way, she still held that adorable smirk on her face.

" you are a complete fishbone you know that" she pressed her nose down to his, feeling her breath so close to him, he couldn't help but smirk.

" i'm your fishbone, and you love me" he whispered to her, his breath so warm in this cold air. " yeah, i do love you" She leaned down, careful her weight didn't bring them falling to the ground, and kissed his lips with hers, slowly moving in sync together, as her hands came up into his hair, he found that she loved his hair probably more than him by how many times her hands are in it.

But he wasn't one to complain, as a moan escaped his lips and pasted hers into the cold air around them, he slowly started to place her down on the ground, as the weight got to much, but his lips never left hers, feeling her push up against him it was exhilarating to have her in his arms again.

It felt like he was falling in love with her all over again.


	11. Taking Lead

She was happy to be out of the house, Stoick was off at his nursing classes with fishlegs, he taught all the under fives helping them with their letters and numbers, helping them with colours and most of all helping them understand which dragons are which, using pictures of course. She never though of school for her son when she was pregnant, sure her and Hiccup talked about it but never actually thought about it, it always seemed so far away. But her baby was two now and he was growing fast, soon he will be in the classes of 5-12 which were run by tuff and ruff.

Astrid was already thinking of it, why is Hiccup letting the twins teach kids, but all in all they were really good with kids of that age and where really good teachers. And after that was the classes of 12-16 which was talk by Snotlout, she couldn't imagine Stoick being a moody teenager, he would probably be a right pain in snotlouts arse, she laughed at the though.

And then there were the 16-20, the final class of dragon training, they would take an exam and a fly test to see if they were ready for the field and that would determine whether they were fit to join the dragon riders or whether they had to resit the test next year. Astrid would usually teach those classes, but now she hears the others have been helping out with teaching the younger generation.

But soon that would her job again, and she couldn't wait.

She walked up through the village holding a big basket of fish the fishermen had just brought in, they had been stocking up as the winter months coming in, there was no snow yet but the frost was coming in quick and the last thing they needed was the sea freezing over before they stocked up on food. And since they have housed the Hysterics tribe, food was on demand.

She ran up the stairs towards the great hall, the guys needed this to help feed the guests and the wounded. People were still healing from the injuries and food was a way to help boast up their energy, and well Astrid was just happy to help. It's been a while since Berk has been so full, people running around like headless chicken but she liked this, she liked the atmosphere it kept her busy.

She walked through the large open doors of the great hall, it was more packed than usual and what made it worse was the dragons flying around, knocking things over. She hurried to the far corner lugging the basket with her to where Gobber and Eret were, dishing out grub to those who were hungry.

" oh there she is!" Gobber shouted as he spotted Astrid diving through the crowd towards them. " i've been waiting fur fish fur over an hour now, where were yer?" she brought her basket over to them, and placed it on the bench near the cooking stove.

" I don't control the fish Gobber, they got them as quick as possible" with help from Eret the two started to pull the fish out one by one onto the hot rock, it was heated by grump, and from the sound of the loud vikings behind she could see what Gobber meant, hungry vikings was good for no one.

" Ai, thanks lass anyway, we 'ave been run off our feet here these past few weeks and there is no sign of the chief" Astrid's ears perked up at the sound of her husband, to be fair he wasn't hanging around the house much, he would leave early and then come home late, Astrid would get a few kisses in bed but it was Stoick she felt for, he wasn't seeing much of his farther.

" where is Hiccup anyway?" she said casually as she kept pulling the raw fish out of the basket ready to be cooked.

Gobber perked up, throwing grump some raw fish as he answered the blonde, " err probably in that olde office of 'is" Hiccups office was in a little shack just below, just a walk down the steps after leaving the great hall, and then turning back on yourself and his little shack was their near the cliff side.

" go on lass maybe you can convince him to eat something" with a smile she handed the basket over to Eret, " alright pretty boy you're on the next round at fish collecting, while i'm going to see my man" she held a smug look on her face as he took it.

" great now i've drawn the short straw" he took the basket and headed for the door, Astrid waited a little before leaving.

" hey lass, when yer do go visitin yer husband, think yer can remind 'im that we are all bustin our guts 'ere to 'elp not just the village, but our guests" she nodded.

" yes sir" she shot off, dodging through the crowds and heading straight for the exit.

xx

She stood in the doorway of his office, watching as Hiccup hunched over his desk, pencil in his hand making marks on some map he had out in front of him. She watched him from the door way, rubbing his forehead with one hand and scribbling on the map with the other, she couldn't help but smirk at how cute he looked, even if she only saw half of his face, she could tell he had that adorable thinking face on. Oh how she loved to see him concentrate.

She knew what he was doing, ever since the attack on the hysterics tribe Hiccup has been here day and night trying to track down Drago's ship, the trackers said they followed the ship once it felt the Hysterics Tribe Island and tracked them east but lost them in sea fog. She knew what he was going through, there is no one who wants to find Drago's ship more than her, but marking X's on a map wasn't getting him anywhere, especially when he was locked up in here with out seeing a drop of daylight and not eating properly.

But she didn't know how to help him, she felt helpless in this, and if anyone knew her she didn't like feeling helpless. She was a chiefs wife, she had to be good for something, and what she couldn't stand was standing around helpless.

The last time she felt this helpless was about 2 years ago, when the ship made dock for the second time and they were all taken off the ship and was brought to the shores of the southen markets, the southen markets were seen where the cheap vikings go to get their cheap shit from. But that was just a cover, the southen markets are a place where the dirty, disgusting filth lived.

 _( 2 years ago )_

 _They were putting them in chains again, one long chain that_ _connected them all together, the last time they were chained up like this was when they were brought to Bone island, but if Astrid remembered rightly they weren't in the right part of the archipelago to be at Bone island. So where were they?_

 _The chain was yanked forward, a few of them tumbled on the ground, each getting hauled up by the pirates surrounded them, " move it savages" the chain was pulled again but not as hard this time, but it was enough for them to get the hint to start moving out of the room of cells and down the dark hall. Astrid was stuck between Valka and snotlout, behind him was ruffnut, she hasn't seen Kari since this morning, they took her out of Astrids cell this morning, she was a 5 year old girl and alone, and Astrid felt some responsibility towards the little girl._

 _She saw a light at the end of the hall, a staircase leading upwards to where the light shined down. Astrid was yet again consumed by sun light, she felt she hadn't seen enough of it for weeks and walking out on the deck of this magnificent ship, she could smell the salty air around her, feel the sun on her face. It was freezing out and she barley had clothes on, the rips and gashes in her clothes were giving it easy access to the wind to her skin, she could feel the goose bumps flowing through her body._

 _They walked along the wooden deck, looking up at the tall buildings and towers that made up the ship, she had to admit even though she hated it, this ship was magnificent and mysterious, it held secrets in its walls and misery in its decks. They were coming to the opening in the deck, she could see hundreds of slaves and prisoners that must have been in the rest of the ship, they were being pulled out and off the ship just like they were. And on top of that right at the end stood the beast himself, Drago, and Grimbeard and Kari?_

 _" Bring the Chief's wife to me" Drago announced to the pirates, the next thing she felt was her chains being un hooked, and dragged towards the smug two._

 _" my blonde deity" Grimbeard was first to greet her, walking forward and taking her jaw with his full hand, roughly he brought her in for a kiss, she resisted as much as she could trying her best to pull away, but she was no match for his strength and all she could smell was his rotten breath._

 _" Grimbeard i would like to talk to Hiccups wife and I can't do that with your mouth around hers" Grimbeard pulled away leaving Astrid trying to rub off anything that was left on her mouth and Grimbeard turned to Drago._

 _" you said she could be my play thing" he grabbed her chain and pulled it forward, leaving her tumbling before Drago and sweet little Kari on the deck._

 _" she may be your play thing but she is my property" he came over to her leaving Kari behind on the deck, he lay a hand out in front of her, offering her it, if she wasn't so battered a bruised she would have found the_ _energy to slap it away but she didn't have any energy, so she didn't. But that didn't mean she had to except it, and when Drago released that she wasn't going to except it, so he grabbed her hair instead and pulled her up._

 _" ah ah ah, ow" she now stood on two feet again, under the mercy of her captor._

 _" should have took my hand, it would have been much more nicer" she looked over his shoulder to where Kari stood, she was safe, only a few_ _scratches but her eyes were red and puffy she had beed crying._

 _" what did you do to her?" she nodded over to the little girl, Drago only glanced a little bit and smirked at her._

 _" she's just a tad bit upset cause we had her mother and grandfather beheaded" it felt like her heart just dropped, " while she watched" and then suddenly just crushed._

 _" how? how could you?" she started to hit his chest with her chained hands with ass the force she had, but it wasn't_ _much, " how? you monster, you vile filthy savage" she threw a punch here and there but Drago didn't move an inch. It was only when Drago's men pulled her off him, holding her by both arms._

 _" This is MY ship, MY rules, and i decide what happens" his voice sent piercing shivers down her spine, she watched from her restrained position him walk over to Kari and pick her up by the arm._

 _" take this little brat with the rest of them" he shoved her over to one of the pirates as he dragged her off the ship too much of Astrid's dismay._

 _" Kari! Kari!"_

 _"Astrid"_

 _She was gone out of her sight, probably with the others, god knows where, she didn't know this island and from the look of it, it needed a bit of TLC. The sand was a dirty brown yellow colour and the grass on the hills looked dried and scorched, and if Drago was stopping on this island cause he wanted something, then she hated it without even stepping foot on it._

 _" Do you know where we are mrs Haddock?" he stood next to her, his men still held a tight grip as she shook her head._

 _" this is mainly known as the southern markets, they disguised this place for vikings who are looking for cheap shit, but really the wealthiest lords and kings, chiefs and counts come here to buy something that can't really be bought anywhere else." he paused for a moment, looking into her eyes, she knew he could see the fear in her eyes._

 _" slaves, sex slaves, a warm body to stay in their beds" he smiled over to her, and she suddenly felt lower than shit on a shoe._

 _" and i am the main supplier, i give the buyers what they want, women, men, girls and boys whatever they want." her eyes shot up when he said girls, her mind went straight to Kari, he wouldn't go that far, he wouldn't._

 _Would he?_

 _The next thing she saw was black._

 _xx_

 _She woke up with ringing ears, she could hear banging like in the far corner, it was like the sound of metal banging on metal. she could hear something else in the distance, from the banging, came roars of voices, shouting and screaming, yelling like a savage crowd, and then her name over and over, it was a strange voice, one she didn't recognise._

 _As her vision came to adjust to her surrounds she released that she was no longer on the ship, but in a wooden shack. It was just a small rusty cell that was dark and dirty, not like the cell on the boat, and definitely not like the cell on bone island, but that was a story for another day._

 _Her eyes were regaining their vision, but looking around the small cell she saw one one she knew, she didn't know where her friends where. Valka? Snotlout? Ruffnut? Kari?_

 _Her eyes shot to the other far corner to where something moved, a lady, fifties? Maybe younger. She wasn't as tall as Valka but she was taller than Astrid just by looking at her she could tell she was taller. She had dark black hair with a few streaks of grey, all tied back in a low bun, and her skin was an olive colour, by the look of her clothes she was a slave, maybe a servant._

 _When she noticed Astrid was fully awake the lady headed towards her, a slight limp in her left leg, dragging it slightly as she walked over to her, " you must be_ _Astrid" her voice sounded broken, whether it was just the broken cords of her voice or her emotional broken frame of mind she didn't know, but working in a place like this, she couldn't blame her._

 _" How do you know my name?" Astrid shifted up properly, sitting up as the lady walked over to the side of her, grabbing a cloth and plunging it in a bucket of water beside her. As she fully sat she could feel the blood rushing to her head, it hurt like it had been bashed in with a rock or something._

 _" your friend told me, nice lady, similar age to me, tall, with long brown hair," she tried to describe her friend, showing the length of her hair using her hands._

 _" Valka?"_

 _"Yes! That's her name, lovely lady" she plunged the cloth back into the water as she continued," she was caring for you while you slept, she asked me to care for you when she left." Astrid's ears shot open._

 _" Left? Where? How long have i been here? Where is everyone else? Who are you? And what the hell is that noise?" the noise had started again, it was like cheers and laughter of men, she could hear it all around her, the sound giving her a constant headache._

 _The lady stopped what she was doing and looked at her in the eye, she the looked up towards the ceiling before she spoke, " that sound you speak off is the buyers, they come here and they auction off the slaves"_

 _The slaves, meaning her and her friends. " You have been out for three days," the lady continued. " Your friends where brought in here, one by one they were taken out, going up for auction, you are the last one left. And i'm Luna by the way." Luna pulled the cloth out of bucket and slapped it on her skin._

 _" What do you think you are doing?" she shot up, feeling quite offended by the act._

 _" the masters want you cleaned, before the auction, if you are not clean by night fall i will get a thrashing" Astrid felt somewhat sorry for the lady, she was just as a prisoner as she was, and she wouldn't stand by and watch an innocent lady get a thrashing over her own actions._

 _Nodded slowly, she came back over and sat back down, letting Luna do what she was told to do._

 _" there was a girl with me, a young girl, aged five, caramel brown hair and green eyes, do you know where she is?" Luna stopped in mid wash, looking down as Astrid, sorrow in her eyes._

 _" I'm sorry lass, she was taken out of the first day, sold to the biggest bidder. She's gone." She continued to clean her, but Astrid wasn't really paying attention._

 _Gone, she was gone._

 _xx_

 _The next few hours were a blur, she was cleaned up and dragged out of her previous cell into a larger room, there she was changed into cleaner clothes and hair was placed in a single plait. She was given a tag around her neck by Luna, she_ _didn't ask questions, though she should have, because all she knew was the number she was given: 1229._

 _She was chained up in a single chain, brought out by some guards through these big broad doors, the sound of cheers and dirty laughter was now getting louder as she was brought to the front, dragged by two guardsmen roughly, she now noticed Luna was no longer with her, she must have gone in the middle of her getting chained up, but her thought on Luna was soon washed away as she was consumed by the sunlight, exiting the building and being brought out to some kind of dome where men sat around in some sort of semi circle and she was stood in the middle._

 _The next thing she felt was the tugging on the chains she wore, looking downwards she saw one large viking, locking her up to a bolt on the floor, " Hey!" she went to run over to him, however not getting far as he held a pointed spear up towards up at her, and she backed off walking back to the middle of the dome._

 _She suddenly discovered what this was, and auction arena, and she was the_ _item getting sold._

 _..._

 _" sold for 350 gold pieces!" the owner shouted, over the large crowd, she felt like meat, cattle, a pig for sale. she was dragged once again, this time being brought back into the building she was once in before, her eyes immediately fell on Drago who smugly stood there as she came in, he was excepting payment, probably from all the slaves he had provided._

 _" thought you needed me?" she said abruptly walking over to him, not paying attention to the other viking men that tried to pull her back._

 _" and why did you think that mrs Haddock?" he placed his payment in his pocket pouch._

 _" because you want my husband, and my husband will only follow where I go, if you sell me to another person, you won't get Hiccup" he started to laugh, and that only made her feel so much worse, and confused._

 _" i'm not selling you to another person to be their slave, i'm selling a chiefs wife to be a bed warmer for the highest bidder to night" she wanted to throw up, the thought of anther man, again._

 _" my friends?"_

 _" don't worry about your friends, they got sold for a few labour tasks and by tonight they will be back on my boat, as for you," he brought his thick fat finger close to her face, brushing hair around her ear even as she tried to back away. " you will be coming back tomorrow morning after making my payed customer feel very satisfied."_

 _xx_

 _" where is she?" valka was sat in her original cell in between ruff and snotlout's, and Astrid's cell, looking into an empty where her daughter in-law should be, it was early morning and she hadn't seen her since yesterday and knowing their captors, this wasn't good news._

 _She didn't get any answers from her fellow prisoners, they all sat in silence, if it was from exhaustion or just not knowing what the hell was going on. Valka couldn't help but wonder what could have happened, and what she would have to say to her son if he ever found them that his wife was sold as a sex slave, or worse, was dead._

 _The big door that was the entrance to their cells opened once more and a very bruised and wounded Astrid was brought it by two guards, she didn't say anything, neither did the guards, it was silent, the only thing that was heard was the sound of her cell doors opening and Astrid body getting thrown in, you could hear her ribs crack as she landed on the hard floor._

 _None of them moved, not yet, if they moved too fast they could get the guard to react with force, against anyone of them. Once the guards were out and the large door was fully closed as locked, Valka sprung to action, running to the bars where hers and Astrid's cell were connected, " Astrid, Astrid? Are you okay?" while Val stayed pressed against the bars, Astrid got off the floor and crawled painfully towards the far corner of her cell._

 _" Astrid?"_

 _She felt dirty._

 _" Astrid?"_

 _She felt lost._

 _" Astrid?"_

 _She felt broken._

 _" i want to go home" she whimpered._

 _As the tears fell down her face all she could feel was, Hopeless._

 _xx_

She finally snapped out of her gaze when she watched him bang the table in anger, throwing the map forward so it fell to the floor in front of him, he rested his hand on the top of his eyebrow, rubbing it slightly as he stressed. Finally releasing that he wouldn't get anywhere by just sitting there with his map on the floor, he got up and walked around his desk, Astrid still stood in the open door way of his office, watching as he slowly climbed out of his chair, sighing deeply, probably from exhaustion and lack of food. He limped over, dragging his left leg, she made a mental note to rub cream on it later that night even if he would protest.

He bent down and picked up his map, straightening it out before turning to go back to his chair, and thats when he saw her, leaning against the wooden door frame with her sexy Astrid smile.

" my sexy what smile?"

His green eyes nearly shot from his eye sockets, as he placed his map slowly on the desk in front of his chair, but not yet taking a seat. "err err err" his hand immediately found the back of his neck and he rubbed it nervously. Next her heard a giggle come from her lips as she took steps towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck bringing his head down towards her and nuzzling her nose to his.

" your sexy Astrid smile" he hummed as he breathed in her scent.

He earned yet another giggle, " I didn't know i had a sexy Astrid smile" she questioned his compliment as she always does, and waits for his sarcastic or extra cheesy comeback.

" well, it's a smile dedicated to my wife, a smile so sexy only she could pull it off" he went with cheesy, but it still made her heart skip that final beat. She couldn't help herself when she brought his lips to crash into hers, gliding their lips together as her fingers scraped his scalp. He recently released she always goes for his hair, however when her nails scraped his scalp and a groan escaped from his mouth, he got his answer. Her legs jumped up and was around his waist, his lanky yet strong arms came under her, holding her up by under her arse.

He took two steps and she was placed on his desk, her legs stayed loosely wrapped around him as his hands now traveled up her body to her face, cupping it slightly.

" hmm wait-" she pushed back and he moaned in annoyance, practically sulking. " Have you even eaten today, or slept properly" she went to caress his face but he took her hand in his before she reached his face.

" seriously, you stopped us to ask me about my health, to ask me if i have eaten?" she shrugged only to get her hand tapped out of the way and his lips back on hers, more needy this time.

He pulled back, " if i eat you out will that be classed as eating" his cockiness caught her off guard, so when he went to kiss her again she covered his lips with one of her hands and pushed him back at arms length.

" Hiccup?"

" sorry, did i take it too far?" he once cocky smirk soon disappeared. It was very rare Astrid would see a confident, cocky smile from Hiccup, especially when it came to her and their relationship/marriage.

" no," she said without hesitation, " i'm just not that ready yet" he nodded at her humbly, wanting to take a step back but she grabbed a strap on his suit and pulled him in closer.

" but i want to be, i miss my husband as much as you miss your wife" she felt his breath on her face as he pressed his nose on hers, his arms wrapped around her thin waist, drawing her in close. He could feel her leg drag along his slowly, as her hands pulled down on his auburn hair.

" i do miss my wife, i miss her soft moans when i place my hands here," he drew her closer to him, bringing her to the edge of his desk so that his hand could ride up the back of her thigh near the bottom of her butt. She let a moan escape from her lips as her toned thighs were squeezed slightly.

" i miss how soft her neck feels when i kiss it," he placed soft light kisses over her creamy skin on her neck, " i miss her sweaty body pressed against mine" she giggled this time as he reached the end of hr neck.

" i miss waking up naked next to her after spending hours the night before making love, and running a finger up her inner thigh and making her shudder under my finger tips when it reaches its destination. " she shivered as he squeezed her thighs again.

" i miss us" his lips brushed hers as their noses slightly touched, her hands ran up his shoulders and gripped the bottom of his auburn locks at the top of the back of his neck.

" i miss us too" with her eyes closed she leaned up and his lips were attracted to hers lips magnets, gripping onto each other with passion, like they had been separated for over 20 years, cause thats what it felt like. She went to move back further on his desk, placing one of her hands down to balance out her weight, but when she placed it down, it wasn't wood she felt on the palms of her hand, it was paper, and she nearly slipped on it.

" wait, wait- let me move this" Hiccup groaned as she pulled away from their heated embrace, her legs still loosely wrapped around his waist, she leaned back to move the map, reaching over, she felt the need to look deeper into the this map that hand hundreds of black X's dotted around the archipelago.

" what's this?" she asked gesturing to the X's.

"oh, i've been trying to track where Drago might be getting his supply from, money, shipment, the lot of it. The places that are marked with an X are dead ends, ones that didn't give me leads or anything." she traced her finger over a few of them, and then her eyes landed on something that didn't add up.

" Hiccup? What's this?" her finger landed on one large X.

" a dead end, there was nothing that linked to Drago" she lifted the map in between them and he soon realised they were not going to continue what that had started not a few moments ago.

" that's impossible" her finger still lingered over the X.

" Astrid i've been there my self nearly two years ago and there was no connection to Drago" she shook her head, and looked up at him.

" Hiccup i was there two years ago, and i'm telling you, the southern markets may not look like much but it is not what it seems" Hiccup moved the map to one side and focused on what his wife was trying to tell him.

" Explain?"

" I know what they say about the southern markets, that its just some cheap shit of an excuse to go shopping, but it's not, its where lords and Kings, chiefs and emperors go to bid on slaves, and Drago he's a big part of the supply shipment, he sells his captives and get money from it, whether he sells them for a few nights with big clients or whether he sells them off as slaves permanently it doesn't matter, thats where he gets his money from, chests and chests of gold. And that's how he is paying for his army." her voice was shaken, like she remembered that experience like it was yesterday.

" right, are you sure" she nodded, she was certain, she didn't believe it herself when it happened, but she hadn't seen Kari since that night and she knew he sold her, she knew he had been sell slaves over the past two years to build his army, and she knew he was probably selling slaves all those years ago before the attack on Berk.

" okay, we'll take a team and go check it out"

Her eyes shot up, " We?"

" yeah we" he nodded as the two smiled at each other. They were a team again.

xx

" So since last time how do you feel you guys have progressed, in your marriage I mean?" Phlegma sat on her bench opposite to the bench Hiccup and Astrid were sat on in the main room. Phlegma's hut was beautiful, quite small but big enough for her alone, her husband died long ago before dragons were peaceful and lived on Berk. Her three boys were all grown up and one of them was expecting a child in the spring, so a small, quiet, hut on the other side of the mountain was perfect for Phlegma.

Her house was her house, however as the islands physiatrist she had this one room to the right of the front door which was just for her clients, where she wrote down their thoughts and feelings so she could back track to help he clients in the best way possible.

Astrid at first hated the thought of discussing her personal and private life of her marriage to a stranger, she's not saying she likes it now, but she does hate it, anymore.

" i think we have improved, alot," Hiccup started, " we talk more, discuss more about our problems" he had a huge smile on his face, he had been smile a lot recently.

This whole marriage council made him happy, to talk about their feelings and how they would like to progress in the future, it made him happy and thats why she was here.

" we haven't got back to being an ... _intimate_ married couple, but that doesn't matter, i know she isn't mentally ready for that, its not because she doesn't love me anymore" he gave her hand that he held a little squeeze as he spoke, and when he finished he got a quick peck on the cheek.

" i never stopped loving you Hiccup" he looked back at her.

" i know that," he nodded, " at least now I do"

" well that good," Phlegma broke the silence, writing a few things in her note book. " i like seeing results from my clients, what i would like to see from you guys by the next session is a written copy by the both of you of things you haven't yet discussed with each other, cause then i am going to speak to each of you personally without the other, talk about them, and then if you feel like discussing it with each other thats great, but you don't have to thats the point. You guys okay with that?" the two looked at each other and knew by staring at each others eyes they were both on the same page.

She nodded as well as him.

" good, I'll see you guys next week then" the two looked at each other then backed at her.

" that's it, no more questions?" Astrid asked nervously, Phlegma looked up from her book and gave a small smile towards them.

" i think you guys have progressed a lot faster than i thought you would, and that's great, but there are a things i wish to discuss to you guys individually about inner problems, but we can discuss that next session. " she went back to her book only for a second, but then looked up at her chief and his wife.

" you guys can discuss anything else that is, if you want" the two shook their heads nervously. " well with that said, you can leave if you want." the two wasted no time, waving their good byes they headed out the door, Hiccup took Astrid's hand in his as they walked down the steps that lead towards the rest of the village.

And even though the act itself was not as intimate as what the two have done in the past, as his finger tips brushed her hand softly she had that feeling in her stomach that she hadn't felt since before her marriage. That feeling of when she was first attracted to Hiccup.

She had butterflies, flying around her stomach and sending goosebumps down her arms, through her hands and straight in her finger tips where Hiccup held her hand.


End file.
